Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 150 g all-purpose flour, chilled
- 2 g fine sea salt
- 4 g granulated sugar
Fats & Liquids
- 140 g unsalted butter, frozen
- 30 ml 80-proof vodka, ice cold
- 15 ml ice water, ice cold
- 2 ml apple cider vinegar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1635 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 119 g
- Fat
- 115 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 795 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 71 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 33 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 301 mg
- Potassium
- 196 mg
- Calcium
- 57 mg
- Iron
- 7.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 36 mg
- Phosphorus
- 197 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 958 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 10 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.20 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.78 mg
- Niacin
- 8.9 mg
- Folate
- 279 mcg
- Water
- 77 g
- Alcohol
- 10 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Place the bowl and a box grater in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Using the large holes of the box grater, grate the frozen butter directly into the flour mixture. Gently toss with a fork to coat each butter strand with flour.
Combine the vodka, vinegar, and ice water. Drizzle over the flour mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until the dough just starts to hold together when squeezed. It should look shaggy and slightly dry.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Gently press into a rough rectangle. Fold the bottom third up and the top third down (like a letter). Rotate 90 degrees, roll out slightly, and repeat once more.
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight.
Chef's Notes
- The vodka technique is a game-changer because alcohol doesn't promote gluten development like water does, leading to a much more tender, 'lighter' crust.
- Grating frozen butter ensures the fat stays in distinct pieces, which is the key to those big flaky layers.
- If the dough feels warm at any point during the folding, put it in the freezer for 5 minutes before continuing.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep tightly wrapped to prevent drying
Freezer: 2 months — Double wrap in foil over plastic
Reheating: Not applicable; bake as directed by your pie recipe
Cultural Context
This remix borrows from the 'Scientific' school of American baking, popularized by food scientists who discovered that ethanol (vodka) prevents the tough gluten bonds found in traditional water-based crusts.
