Rich, all butter Buttermilk Pastry is my new favorite pastry to make. By incorporating buttermilk into the mixture, instead of water or milk, the flavor and the texture both change. Buttermilk imparts a slightly tangy taste and brings tenderness to the Pastry.
It is so easy to make. It is made in a shortcrust pastry style, with the end result being a rich, decadent, full flavored pastry that works well with both savory and sweet pie fillings.
I noticed a lot of different terms used to describe pastry – pie pastry, pie crust, crust, tart dough. In this post, I’ll simply call it Buttermilk Pastry.
Why Make this Rich All Butter Buttermilk Pastry?
Shortcrust or Puff Pastry
Shortcrust pastry and puff pastry are made using the same basic ingredients – flour, fat (such as butter or shortening), and liquid (usually cold water.) The quantities of these ingredients used is different, with puff pastry using an equal ratio of flour to fat, and shortcrust using less fat to flour. The result is a different taste, texture and appearance. The one noticeable difference between these two pastries is the lamination shown in puff pastry. Lamination refers to a technique where butter is folded into dough multiple times to create alternating layers of dough and butter. This process results in a pastry that is flaky, light, and has many distinct layers. Think of croissants, they are buttery, flaky, light and easy to pull apart.
This recipe for Buttermilk Pastry is based on a shortcrust pastry style, using cold buttermilk instead of cold water.
Weight Conversions
This is all you need for this Buttermilk Pastry Recipe
- Flour: all purpose / plain flour.
- Butter: salted or unsalted. Freeze it before use.
- Buttermilk: whole fat is preferable.
- Salt.
How to Make Buttermilk Pie Pastry in a Food Processor
Sift the flour into a food processor.
Grate in frozen butter using the finest grater you have.
Add a pinch of salt if using salted butter, or two pinches if using unsalted butter.
Put the processor lid on, pulse until a breadcrumb texture appears.
Add buttermilk slowly through feed tube of the processor, or remove the feed tube. You might not use all the buttermilk.
Stop the processor, once the pastry has come together, do not overwork it.
Gather the dough up and turn it out onto a floured board.
Flour the rolling pin and start to roll it out. Use it however you wish.
Making Buttermilk Pastry by Hand
You’ll need a bowl and a pastry cutter. For best results, refrigerate or better yet, freeze these items before use. Cold equipment and ingredients are key. Freeze the butter overnight. You can semi freeze the buttermilk (put it in the freezer for about 30 – 60 minutes until ice splinters form.)
Making Buttermilk Pastry by hand is a little more effort but it gives you more control of the dough. Add the flour to the chilled bowl, grate in the butter and add a pinch or two of salt. Use the pastry cutter to mix and blend these ingredients until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add the chilled buttermilk, a little at at time, and using you hands mix the ingredients to form a dough that is almost sticking together. Add more buttermilk if the dough is shaggy looking but not coming together. Do not overwork the dough. Do not add too much buttermilk. Adding too much liquid will make the dough sticky. Not using enough liquid will cause the dough to be stiff and dry. Choose the sticky option, as it is the lesser of two evils.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board. Use only enough flour to prevent it from sticking to the board. Roll evenly across the dough to ensure a uniform thickness. The Buttermilk Pastry is ready to be formed into a pie tin, tartlet tins or used flat for the intended purpose it was made for.
How Long Can Buttermilk Pastry be Refrigerated or Frozen?
Refrigerate Buttermilk Pastry for up to 3 days before using it. Ensure it is well wrapped to avoid it picking up refrigerator odors.
Freeze Buttermilk Pastry for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Uses for Buttermilk Pastry
Use Buttermilk Pastry for the bottom and lattice top of Peach Rhubarb Pie or use half a recipe quantity to make the bottom of an Apple Crumb Pie.
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
Buttermilk adds more fat to pastry. Fat contains flavor. Buttermilk also adds acid. Acid hinders gluten development. Over developed gluten will make the pastry tough and cause shrinkage when the dough is rolled out. Taste of Home wrote a great article about the benefit of adding buttermilk to many recipes.
Although the same ingredients are used, the fat to flour ratio differs. Puff pastry uses the same quantity of flour to butter and shortcrust uses less butter to flour used. The additional butter in the puff pastry and the style in which it is made, causes lamination, meaning layers. Puff pastry has layers of flakiness, and it is light and buttery.
Rich All Butter Buttermilk Pastry
Ingredients
- 9 oz all purpose flour plain flour
- 8 oz butter
- 4 oz buttermilk
Instructions
- Sift the flour into a food processor.
- Grate in frozen butter using the finest grater you have.
- Add a pinch of salt if using salted butter, or two pinches if using unsalted butter.
- Put the processor lid on, pulse until a breadcrumb texture appears.
- Add buttermilk slowly through feed tube of the processor, or remove the feed tube. Not all of the buttermilk is needed.
- Stop the processor, once the pastry has come together, do not overwork it.
- Gather the dough up and turn it out onto a floured board.
- Flour the rolling pin and start to roll it out. Use it however you wish.
Notes
2 cups flour + 1 cup butter + ½ cup buttermilk. Yield: enough pastry for one pie (bottom and top). Nutritional guidelines are for the pastry component of a slice of pie.
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