If you’ve made my all-butter pie dough recipe before, you know the drill: cold butter, minimal handling, and patience. This version takes that same base and adds shredded cheddar cheese for a savory flavor-packed twist. It’s perfect for quiches, galettes, or cheddar apple pie.
I’ve been making this cheddar pie dough variation for years. It’s one of those recipe that you keep tinkering with. The cheese adds a subtle sharpness and richness that regular pie dough just doesn’t have. Plus, the cheese melts and browns beautifully in the oven- it ends up tasting like a cheese cracker!
Table of Contents
Recipe Highlights
- All-butter base for maximum flavor
- Shredded cheddar cheese mixed directly into the dough
- Freeze-cold ingredients for flaky layers
- Versatile use for quiche, galettes or sweet & savory pie crust
Quick Tips
Shred your own cheese. Skip the pre-shredded stuff from the bag (it’s coated with anti-caking powders that prevent it from melting smoothly) which can affect the texture of your dough. Instead, grab a block of cheddar and shred if yourself using the larger holes on your grater.
Any melty cheese works. Cheddar is my go-to, but mozzarella and jack cheese are great substitutes. Just stick to cheeses known for melting well.
This dough freezes beautifully. I suggest making a double or triple batch to keep your freezer stocked. It keeps well frozen for two months. To use, simply defrost overnight in the fridge, or leave out at room temperature for about an hour.
Cheddar Pie Dough
Ingredients
- 325 g all-purpose flour
- 12 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, Diamond Crystal preferred
- 227 g salted butter, cut into tablespoons, chilled
- 70 g shredded cheddar, large shreds, chilled
- 2 large egg yolks, chilled
- 5 Tbsp ice cold water*
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add in cold butter. Toss to coat. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut butter into flour mixture. Continue until mixture looks like coarse, pebbled sand.
- Toss in shredded cheese. Follow with egg yolks and ice water. Toss and press together until mixture looks like a “shaggy mess” or scrambled eggs.
- Dump onto a clean work surface (or work inside a large mixing bowl). Gently and quickly knead mixture together to from a cohesive dough.
- Divide dough into two equal parts. Flatten into disks and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for a least 30 minutes. Ideally, overnight.
Notes
- Pie dough makes enough for two pies or 1 double crust pie (meaning pie with bottom and top crust).
- Pie dough can be stored in the fridge for 2 days.
- For longer storage, keep wrapped pie dough in the freezer for up to two months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and use immediately.
- This recipe was created using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Do not use table salt. Morton Kosher Salt is considered table salt. It is much saltier than Diamond Crystal.
- Err on the side of less liquid. Use just enough water for the dough to stick together. If you live in a humid environment, it may mean using less water than stated in the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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