Cutting in Butter

What is the proper way to "cut in" butter in a recipe?  I find that every time a recipe calls for this technique, I cannot get the pieces of butter small enough or uniform in size.  I stay away from pie crust for this reason alone!  I would like to master this technique once and for all.  Can  you help?  Thank you.  MamaGina

I seem to do a pretty good job with my pastry blender.

But I seen on a cooking show recently that a cheese grater works well on hard butter. And it was quick and easy!

For making pie crusts, cut in the fat until all of it is roughly the size of small peas and the texture of bread crumbs. If it is cut into smaller crumb-sized particles, the pastry will be less flaky but more tender and mealy. On the other hand, for biscuits, the fat should be crumb-size.

"Cut in the fat" is accomplished with a pastry blender, two knives or your fingertips. Don't press down on the fat and flour while cutting it in. It needs to be incorporated into the flour as quickly as possible without overhandling the fat so it softens or melts. If it does, you won't get flaky pastry. If the fat becomes oily because the rubbing-in takes longer and everything is too warm, refrigerate or freeze the entire mixture as is until chilled and then try again.

Start with chilled or frozen butter (frozen is better). Measure and cut the butter into small, evenly-sized 1/4-inch cubes. This makes it a perfect size when later blending it into the flour and dry ingredients. I then return the fat to the freezer to chill again. Toss the chilled butter cubes in the flour mixture. 

Then, cut the butter in. As you do, occasionally lift the butter and flour up high with your fingertips and let it fall back down into the bowl, which means that air is being incorporated all the time, and air is what makes pastry light.

	The easiest utensil to use is called a "pastry blender", available from the grocery store or kitchen shop. This inexpensive utensil is a series of horseshoe-shaped wires joined at the top with a straight wooden or plastic handle. This tool is easy to use and perfectly designed for its purpose.
	However, you can also use two knives - one in each hand moving in opposite directions, to cut the shortening into the flour. A fork may also be used instead of two knives.
	When you use your fingertips, be light and gentle as possible. Don't touch the fat with your palms, the warmest part of your hands.
	Food processor: Use the metal blade and add the chilled fat pieces to the work bowl containing the flour and any other dry ingredients. Quickly pulse it one-second at a time, up to15 times, to combine the dry ingredients with the fat, until crumbly. The fat pieces should be barely visible. When the mixture is properly mixed, it will be slightly yellow, mealy in texture rather than floury, and it will ride up the sides of the bowl.

MamaGina, just get a pastry blender from any store, a kitchen store, grocery store, Walmart, or any homewares dept of a department store.  They are not expensive, and work very well, easier than using two knives or a fork.  Also, make sure the butter/marg. is hard, not room temp.  Crisco works ok though at room temp.  It is worth it if you want to make your own pie crust.  I never buy ready made crusts, or the refrigerated kind you just unroll and put in your pan. They don't compare to homemade  Its a little easier, but the taste from a homemade crust is worth the little extra to make your own.  I  just use the recipe for  pie crust from my Betty Crocker cookbook i got when I got married.  Whenever I go anywhere, I am always asked to bring a pie, as mine are the best!!  If you never made a homemade crust, don't give up if it doesn't turn out, and don't worry if it looks a little sloppy, it takes practice, just keep at it.  Good Luck!

Betsy

Hi!

Guess I messed up before, and my reply got posted before I said anything!  lol!!

Just wanted to question KalyAB  about the cheese grater to cut in butter.

Just grate it into the flour mix, then use a fork to mix?  or what?

Thanks Kaly

Joan

Hello! If you have a food processor, you could use that. It makes quick work of cutting cold butter nicely into flour. And if you don't want to finish the pie dough using the processor, just empty the butter/flour mixture into a nice size mixing bowl...add the liquid...and toss gently with a fork. This is how I make my pie crust. Take care!

Sorry Joan, I just seen this.

Yes, just grate it in and then mix it with a fork to get covered with flour.

Redawna

Good tips above.  Easiest 'hand' method--as mentioned--is a pastry blender, but 2 knives works well--just takes a little longer.  You'd only want to use the 'fingertip' method as a last resort--too great a chance of warming the fat too much.  I don't care for the fork method, either, because the butter and flour tend to be mashed together, rather than forming small balls of fat that are coated with flour.  I've had excellant results using the food processor--once you learn that method, it's probably the simplest of all

I just wanted to make another, related suggestion.  If you're using Crisco, be sure to freeze it before using.  And if you're attempting to make a pie crust in a warm room, or on a summer day, freeze both the flour and fat before trying to mix them.  Then chill your work surface before rolling the dough--you can keep your marble in the fridge so that it's always cool, or you can toss a couple of bags of frozen veg on your counter for a few minutes.  Don't forget to chill the rolling pin, too.