Hot take: I tried the "cold butter" pie crust method and it was a disaster compared to room temp

Everyone in this group swears by ice cold butter for flaky pie crust, but I tried it three times last month and got tough, greasy results every time. For my apple pie last weekend I used butter that sat out for 20 minutes, about 68 degrees, and the dough came together smooth without overworking it. The crust was tender and still flaky, no hockey puck texture. Has anyone else ditched the ice cold rule and had better luck with slightly softened butter?

3 comments

3 Comments

murray.cora1mo ago

Wait till you hear this. I switched to room temp butter after my third failed pie crust in a row. The "experts" would have a heart attack but my crusts actually taste good now. Cold butter always made me overwork the dough trying to get it to hold together. Honestly feels like a baking myth that only works if you have superhuman speed.

dixon.james1mo ago

A buddy of mine was in the same boat until his grandma told him to just use what feels right. He tried room temp butter on a whim and now swears by it, says his pie crusts actually hold together without turning into a brick. Guess sometimes the old rules just don't work for everyone, no matter what the pros say.

riverdavis1mo ago

Yeah, totally, I use room temp butter for everything now and my crusts finally come out right.