3-2-1 crust is my elementary, go-to crust for any savory pie. But it’s not just for savory pies. I often employ 3-2-1 crust in apple galettes and simple dessert pies when I want to tame back the pie’s sweetness.
This is a simple French recipe. Waterproof to hold the wettest and sloppiest fillings, it is also flaky, delicious and is a foolproof crust recipe.
Composed of 3 parts flour, 2 parts butter and one part cold water, it’s an easy recipe to remember and the title is very helpful when converting the recipe to a larger amount. The recipe below makes one, generous pie crust.
Here’s the FFA recipe for Quiche Lorraine
3-2-1 crust is a delightful and can be frozen to use later. But be sure to bring it out of the refrigerator an hour before, or, from the freezer a good two hours before, you wish to roll it as it is hard as a rock once chilled.
To achieve the ideal flaky lamination of a 3-2-1 crust, you must rub the chilled butter into the flour across your palm. That is, rub the butter into the flour until each chunk of butter has been flattened in this way. Failing this, you might not achieve the somewhat puff-pastry-ness that is achievable with only yourself to blame. Technique matters: you’ve got this.
Why Does Butter Temperature Matter in Baking?
3-2-1 Crust
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 stick cold, unsalted butter
- ½ cup cold water
Instructions
- Cut the cold butter into small chunks. Place the butter with the flour in a small mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the flour across your hands, one palm rubbing over the other, to flatten the butter into the flour. When well mixed, the mixture will resemble large, pea-sized lumps.
- Add very cold water and mix lightly until incorporated. The mixture will be crumbly.
- Turn out crust onto a lightly floured board and knead several times into a smooth ball. It should have no seams or cracks. Place flattened ball on a small plate and cover with a wet towel or paper towel and place in refrigerator to rest for a half hour. You can also freeze this for later use.
- To use, roll until almost transparent. Add savory filling and bake. This crust does not need to be pre-cooked.
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