Buzz
We all know that a perfect pie crust calls for cold butter, which is why most recipes suggest chilling the dough twice: once after mixing and again after shaping the pie. The drawback is that cold dough is difficult to roll out, meaning you'll need to wait for it to soften—adding at least an extra hour to your baking time.
That said, you can skip the initial chill altogether. While there are solid reasons to chill your dough before rolling it out—particularly if you're preparing it ahead of time—that doesn't mean it's a must. You can go straight from mixing to rolling, and then to assembling, with no negative consequences. In fact, your pie might even turn out better.
Less chilling equals less waiting.
One major benefit of skipping that initial chill is the reduction in prep time—it effectively cuts it in half. Dough straight from the fridge can take up to an hour to warm up at 75ºF, but if your room temperature is under 70ºF, it could easily take two or even three hours. And that doesn’t include the time it spent cooling initially. When making pie, which is already a lengthy process, this saved time is crucial—especially during busy cooking days like Thanksgiving.
Warmer dough is more manageable
Even dough that’s just a little too cold can crack, crumble, and refuse to cooperate. (I’ve been baking pies for over ten years, and half of mine still resemble the Millennium Falcon.) But dough at room temperature is flexible and smooth. It’s not only easier to roll out, but it’s also much less likely to crack—and if it does, it’ll stick to itself, making repairs effortless.
This feature is more valuable than it seems. Dough that sticks to itself can be molded to your exact needs, and once it’s chilled to firm up the shape, it will stay in place. Whether you’re creating a simple crimped edge or a detailed lattice with cutouts, starting with soft, flexible dough gives your decorations the best chance to stay intact in the oven.
How to do it
This technique is simple to apply: Just make your favorite pie crust recipe and skip the first chilling step. You’ll need to roll out the dough quickly, but as long as your kitchen is cooler than 75ºF, there’s no need to worry. The primary source of heat here is your hands, and they’re unlikely to warm up your rolling pin or counters enough to reach 90ºF—the temperature at which butter typically starts to melt.
This cuts down on waiting time, so you might want to adjust the timing for your filling prep. Single-crust custard pies are best when hot custard is added to a hot, freshly blind-baked crust, so plan accordingly. For double-crust pies, have the filling ready before you mix your dough. As long as you chill the assembled pie (or crust-lined plate) thoroughly before baking, the butter will stay cold enough for the hot oven.
