Overheard a pastry chef say she chills her dough twice

I was picking up supplies at Restaurant Depot last Tuesday and heard this older woman telling someone she chills her pie dough before mixing the fat in, then again after. Tried it that weekend with apple pie. First chill keeps the butter from smearing during mixing, second relaxes the gluten so it doesn't shrink. First batch came out flaky and stayed flat in the pan. Any of you tried this double chill method or got a better trick for tough crusts?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamesblack13d ago

You ever have trouble with your crust shrinking up in the pan? I started chilling my dough twice after reading a blog about it, and the second chill really helps keep the shape. Makes the whole process take longer but the results are worth it.

graymiller13d ago

Watched @jamesblack's crust shrink into a frisbee once, then realized I forgot to chill at all.