I'm excited to share a step-by-step guide on creating a flaky buckwheat pie crust recipe. If you are looking for an amazing gluten-free pie crust using wholesome whole-grain ingredients. I'll walk you through all the necessary details and techniques to ensure your success in the kitchen. Don't worry, I did all the testing so you won't have to!
I have a great pie dough recipe using conventional whole wheat flour, but also wanted to craft a whole grain gluten-free pie dough for my readers as well. You are going to love this!
If you are hesitant to try making homemade pie crust, let me teach you everything you need to know to take away the fears you might have. Learning to make pie dough is a really important kitchen skill for any baker to have.
Tips for making homemade pie dough
Let's start out with some of my favorite tips for getting the perfect pie dough the first time.
- This is an all-butter crust- I love the flavor. While most bakers insist on unsalted butter, myself included for many years after graduating from culinary school and working in the industry. However, the reality of feeding a full crew, I have come to realize for the average person, both unsalted and salted work really well. So, grab whatever you have on hand. Vegan butter will also work.
- Speaking of butter, be sure it is chilled (for using the food processor), and frozen for making the pie dough by hand. Keeping that butter very cold until it hits the oven is vital to a flaky crust. You only want those chunks of butter to melt between the layers IN THE OVEN.
- If you have made the buckwheat flour yourself, the instructions below, make sure it is cooled before using.
- Buckwheat flour contains no gluten, so it is a little tricky to work with. Be a little more gentle than you would with regular pie dough when you are rolling it out.
- Be sure to chill the dough for at least an hour before working.
Ingredients
I am keeping the ingredients simple for this pie dough, and the ones I have found work best together. Let me give a few details on what you will need.
- Buckwheat flour- You can purchase this online from Amazon or you can also make it on your own, I will teach you how below.
- Rice flour- I like to blend my buckwheat flour with rice for a milder flavor and lighter texture.
- Tapioca flour (starch)- This keeps the dough stretchy and more like a conventional dough you might be used to working with.
- Salt- It only takes a touch, but don't leave it out! It is a flavor enhancer and the dough needs it.
- Butter- as noted above, this can be unsalted or salted- I know foodies, crucify me.
- Ice water- Just as you want the flour cooled, and the butter chilled, it is best to use ice water.
How to make buckwheat pie dough in a food processor
Mise en place- get everything ready to go and measured out. You will want this dough to come together quickly, so have everything ready to go. This is one of the first things we learn in culinary school.
Mix together the dry ingredients- Add all the flours and salt in the food processor. Pulse a few times to mix well.
Add in butter- Cut the chilled butter into chunks. Pulse several times to break up the butter into pea-sized pieces.
Ice water- pour in the ice water and pulse a few times. You will know it is ready when you pinch the dough and it sticks together. It might look a little shaggy, but we will knead this to get it to come together.
Knead- Now, I am not talking about kneading as you might think, this is quick until the dough comes together.
Fold- Folding the dough will also help create layers. Gently press the dough out into a rough 12x16-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds to create these layers.
Divide- divide this dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap.
Chill- Chill the dough for at least an hour or up to 4 days. The dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months!
Use- the dough is ready to use. Follow the directions on your recipe.
How to make buckwheat pie dough without special equipment
Mise en place- get everything ready to go and measured out. You will want this dough to come together quickly, so have everything ready to go. This is one of the first things we learn in culinary school.
Mix together the dry ingredients- Add the flours and salt into a medium-sized bowl and mix.
Add in butter- This recipe method uses frozen butter. Grate the butter and
Ice water- pour in the ice water and pulse a few times. You will know it is ready when you pinch the dough and it sticks together. It might look a little shaggy, but we will knead this to get it to come together.
Knead- Now, I am not talking about kneading as you might think, this is quick until the dough comes together.
Fold- Folding the dough will also help create layers. Gently press the dough out into a rough 12x16-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds to create these layers.
Divide- divide this dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap.
Chill- Chill the dough for at least an hour or up to 4 days. The dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months!
Use- the dough is ready to use. Follow the directions on your recipe.
How to store homemade pie dough
You have made your pie dough, now what? Well, if you plan on baking with this dough in the next 7 days, it can be stored in the fridge.
Storing pie dough in the fridge
After you have made the dough, divide it in half and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. If you need to, double-wrap. Once it is wrapped, place it in the fridge with no other special instructions. It will hold like this for 5-7 days. If you are using an all-butter crust like mine, let it sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before you start rolling it. This will soften it slightly and make it easier to roll.
Storing pie dough in the freezer
Now, if you will need to hold your pie dough for more than 7 days, the freezer is the best solution.
Make your pie dough as directed, and wrap it tightly with saran wrap. For freezing, I like to add another step to keep our unwanted flavors from the freezer into my dough- I place the wrapped pie dough disks into a freezer Ziplock bag.
You can store it in the freezer for 2-3 months. When you are ready to use it, move it to the fridge overnight. The next day, be sure to place in on the countertop to soften it slightly for 20-30 minutes.
How to make buckwheat flour in a blender
Ingredients:
- Raw buckwheat groats
Equipment:
- Blender or food processor
Steps:
- Prepare the Buckwheat Groats:
- Measure the desired amount of raw buckwheat groats.
- Blend the Groats:
- Place the buckwheat groats in the blender or food processor.
- Blend on high speed until the groats are ground into a fine powder. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides for even grinding.
- Check Consistency:
- After blending, check the texture of the flour. It should be fine and smooth, resembling commercial buckwheat flour.
- Store the Flour:
- Transfer the freshly ground buckwheat flour to an airtight container. Store it in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator to maintain its freshness.
Flaky Buckwheat Pie Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- ½ cup rice flour
- ¾ cup tapioca flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons chilled or frozen butter chilled for using a food processor, frozen for the grater method.
- ¾ cup ice water more as needed
Instructions
Food processor method
- Add the dry ingredients to your food processor and pulse several times to blend.
- Cut the butter into ½-inch chunks and add them to the food processor.
- Pulse several times to break up the butter into pea-sized pieces. Be sure to work quickly to ensure the butter stays chilled.
- Add in the ice water and pulse again several times to incorporate. If it looks a little shaggy, don't stress. Pinch the dough. If it sticks together, there is enough water. If not, add in a few more tablespoons until it does. It might still look a little shaggy, don't stress.
- Pour the dough out onto your surface and knead gently a few times until it all comes together.
- Divide the dough in half, wrap it in saran wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours.
Grater method
- Combine all dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Grate the FROZEN butter on your box grater. Work quickly to ensure it stays frozen/chilled.
- Add the grated butter to your dry ingredients and mix with a fork.
- Pour in the ice water and mix. It will look like a shaggy mess, as to be expected.
- Turn it out onto your surface and knead it a few times, if it feels dry, add in a few more tablespoons of water.
- Divide the dough in half and wrap it in saran wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours before using.
Notes
- This is an all-butter crust- I love the flavor. While most bakers insist on unsalted butter, myself included for many years after graduating from culinary school and working in the industry. However, the reality of feeding a full crew, I have come to realize for the average person, both unsalted and salted work really well. So, grab whatever you have on hand. Vegan butter will also work.
- Speaking of butter, be sure it is chilled (for using the food processor), and frozen for making the pie dough by hand. Keeping that butter very cold until it hits the oven is vital to a flaky crust. You only want those chunks of butter to melt between the layers IN THE OVEN.
- If you have made the buckwheat flour yourself, the instructions below, make sure it is cooled before using.
- Buckwheat flour contains no gluten, so it is a little tricky to work with. Be a little more gentle than you would with regular pie dough when you are rolling it out.
- Be sure to chill the dough for at least an hour before working.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!