TIPS FOR BETTER BAKING
The easy way to make tender, flaky pie crust: use a Blending Fork!
Some recipes call for using a food processor or mixer to make pie crust. I think the best way to achieve a flaky pie crust is to mix it by hand using a large blending fork. This method allows you to mix the fat into the flour just enough. Do not over work pie crust. Leave little pockets of butter, lard, or shortening in the crust. This will create layers in your crust as it bakes. It’s that easy! I’ll include two of my favorite pie crust how-to videos below: an all butter pie crust, and an old fashioned diner style pie crust. If you’d like your own blending fork, visit my “shop” page. It’s my most used item in the kitchen!
All Butter Pie Crust
Diner Style Pie Crust
Notice the pockets and swirls of butter throughout the pie crust dough. This will create flaky layers as the crust bakes.
Resist the Twist!
When making biscuits, DO NOT twist the cutter into the dough. Make quick cuts, down and straight back up with your biscuit cutter. This will insure a tall, layered, flaky rise. Also, try not to over work the dough. Biscuit dough is somewhat like pie dough. You never want to knead it. Try keeping those lovely layers intact. You might enjoy my Strawberry Biscuit recipe. Click here to see how they’re made. Video how-to also included on the recipe page.
Soften butter in a hurry with one of these two tricks:
Heat a bowl under hot running water and throughly dry the bowl. Grate the desired amount of butter into the warm bowl and wait a couple of minutes for the butter to soften.
Heat a tall glass under hot running water. Dry the glass and turn upside down, covering the stick of butter. Wait a few minutes and the butter will soften.
Butter and flour your cake pans to prevent sticking instead of using aerosol spray.
Use softened butter to grease cake pans and dust with flour instead of using nonstick spray. It may take an extra 30 seconds, but it’s worth it. Not only is it better for the planet, but it tastes better, too. If you’re baking a chocolate cake, especially if it’s a naked chocolate cake, try using cocoa for dusting to keep a dark, chocolatey color on the crust. (For a naked German Chocolate Cake with Caramel Pecan Frosting between layers, click here.) If you’re still concerned about cake layers sticking, cut parchment paper rounds to fit the pans. Add the parchment after greasing and flouring the pans.
Quick chilling dough:
On a large piece of plastic wrap, flatten dough into a disc about 1 inch thick and quick chill in the freezer for about 20 minutes. This works well for rolled cookie dough, and can prevent some cookie doughs from spreading too much during baking. Try quick chilling dough using my recipe for French Butter Cookies, some of the best Sablé Breton you’ll find in the US!
Roll pie crust, and hand knead yeast dough on a Dexas Pastry Board.
I really enjoy working with pie crust and yeast dough. Sometimes I’ll use my KitchenAid stand mixer for kneading, but other times, depending on the recipe, I will knead dough by hand. I love how easy the Dexas Pastry Board makes these two different jobs. The dough doesn’t stick to the board! If you’re rolling pie crust, just roll the circle to the edges of the board. Perfect fit for standard pie pans! See how well the board works for rolling pie crust in my Southern Sweet Potato Pie video how-to.
Buttermilk:
Use full fat buttermilk when you can. I love baking with thick Bulgarian style buttermilk, especially for cakes and biscuits. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, try this: add a generous Tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of whole milk, stir, and let it sit for a few minutes to thicken. This works well in place of buttermilk for cakes, biscuits, or muffins,…but if you’re making a buttermilk pie, you really need the real thing! Check back soon for my Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie recipe and video. Nanny made the best!
Click here for some of my favorite kitchen items and ingredients.
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