Rustic Milk Pie Crust

Recipe by Judy Kim

This pie dough is the canvas used by food stylist Judy Kim to make her stunning designs on top of all kinds of pies. Her style takes inspiration from nature and the seasons, with a contemporary but rustic edge. Judy's recipe makes a generous amount of pastry, plenty for a 9" double crust with extra for decorations. Be sure not to skip the small amount of shortening (or lard), which helps the crust's crimp (and any decorations) hold their shape during baking.

Prep
30 mins
Total
1 hr 30 mins
Yield
pastry for a 2-crust pie with extra for decorating
Rustic Milk Pie Dough

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.
  1. In a liquid measure, combine the milk and vinegar; place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the butter cubes to the dry mixture and toss with your fingers to coat.

  3. Using your hands, work the butter into the flour by pressing it between your fingers and thumb in a slow finger-snapping motion to create flattened shards.

  4. Work your way through all the cubes until they're flattened and coated. Work in the lard (or shortening) the same way.

  5. Create a shallow well in the flour mixture and add the chilled milk, a tablespoon at a time, tossing with the flour. Use all of the liquid (this recipe is more moist than typical pie dough).

  6. Once the dough comes together in a rough ball, turn it out onto a floured work surface and, with floured hands, knead five to seven times until it forms a ball.

  7. Lightly coat the dough with flour and cut into two pieces, using a third for the bottom of the pie and keeping two thirds available for making designs for the top.

  8. Place cut side down on plastic wrap; form the smaller piece into a 1" thick disk and the larger piece into a 1" thick rectangle. Chill for 1 hour before rolling out.

  9. Raw dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, or frozen for 2 months for longer storage.

Tips from our Bakers

  • Want to make this recipe gluten-free? For great results, substitute King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour for the all-purpose flour in this recipe. Roll out the pie dough between two pieces of parchment to prevent sticking. Be sure to bake thoroughly; gluten-free baked goods often need a bit more time in the oven.

  • Never mind the pastry blender; did you know your stand mixer does a great job with pie crust? See the details in our blog post, How to make pie crust in your stand mixer.