Hydrating Pie Dough

Keeping pie dough moist is the key to keeping cracks and crumbles at bay. 

Most cooks we know struggle when it comes to rolling out pie crust. The most common problem is dough that cracks or crumbles because it's too dry. Many older recipes promoted the idea of adding very little water to the dough. But using a good amount of water is key to easy rolling. How do you know when you've added enough? The dough should come together easily when pinched. If it feels dry, keep adding ice water. Once the dough feels right, shape it into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic, and chill for at least one hour. Besides making the dough easier to handle, chilling gives the dough time to absorb the water evenly. What should you do if the dough still seems dry and crumbly when you roll it out? Just break the dough back into clumps, place it in a large bowl, and gradually work in more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, with your hands. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and chill thoroughly before attempting to roll it out again.