Serious question, is the 'cold butter trick' for pie crust actually worth the hassle?

I started baking pies about 5 years ago, and back then I followed all the rules about keeping butter ice cold and handling the dough as little as possible. Last winter, I forgot to chill my butter before making a crust for a Thanksgiving dinner and figured I'd just go with it. The crust came out flakier and easier to roll than any of my previous attempts. Now I use room temperature butter on purpose and get better results every time. Has anyone else found this method works better, or am I just getting lucky with my dough?

2 comments

2 Comments

carter.jennifer15h ago

I've noticed that happens a lot with cooking advice. People get so stuck on the rules they forget to test if the rules actually matter.

the_spencer13h ago

You said people get stuck on the rules without testing them, but in this case the cold butter rule has a solid reason behind it. The science is that cold butter creates steam pockets as it melts in the oven, which gives you those flaky layers. Room temp butter blends into the flour more, which makes a tender crust but not a flaky one. Sounds like you might just prefer a different texture, which is totally fine, but the cold butter trick isn't one of those myths people blindly follow.