Liquor in Pie Crust?

Posted by GraceB 9 months ago

I just finished reading through the December issue of Cook's Illustrated and I was shocked to find an article on the perfect pie dough. Apparently Vodka is the secret pie dough ingredient that every pastry chef has ever dreamed of! It lets you add more water to your dough for easier mixing without it getting over-worked and tough. The science behind this tidbit is that gluten holds pie dough together, and water plus flour equals gluten. Since vodka is only 60% water, the 40% ethanol generates less gluten. Taaadaaa! Soft pastry dough! Cook's Illustrated suggests 4 Tbls of vodka and water to 2 1/2 cups of flour and 1 1/2 sticks of butter.