This master class in all-butter piecrust teaches both handmade and food processor methods, culminating in the ultimate savory quiche.  Our test kitchen made dozens of versions of this pie dough using both the food processor and the traditional by-hand method.The processor was efficient, yes—but the handmade method consistently yielded a dough with more-pronounced flake, deeper flavor, and superior structure.And when you understand why this method works, it becomes more instinctive each time you make it.

Though the food processor has become a modern-day shortcut, the handmade method remains the gold standard in both texture and technique—and it’s the one we recommend here.It offers a deeper understanding of how flour absorbs fat, how hydration shifts feel, and how temperature shapes outcome.More importantly, it gives you control.

Join us for Baking School with Williams Sonoma on Monday, August 25, 2025, at 5 p.m.PT.Laura Crandall will lead you through the process of mastering piecrust with warmth and precision.

This is baking at its most foundational and its most beautiful.Sign up here.  Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson! INGREDIENT BREAKDOWN The beauty of this quiche lies in the balance between its crisp, deeply golden crust and the soft custard fill

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