My grandma swore a pinch of salt would fix my dry pie dough, and after 3 attempts I finally get it

Brooke Carr · 2026-10-01T17:15:05.605615+00:00

When I first started baking, my grandma watched me fight with a batch of pie dough that kept cracking at the edges, and she kept saying just add a pinch of salt and a splash of cold water, nothing more. I ignored her for about a year because I figured she was just old school and I knew better with all my fancy recipes. Last weekend I was making a double crust apple pie for a family thing in Boise and the dough was a crumbly mess, so out of pure frustration I tried her trick. Two pinches of salt and a tablespoon of ice water later, that dough rolled out smooth as anything and the crust came out flaky instead of tough. Turns out grandma knew what she was doing the whole time. Does anyone else have a family member whose old baking advice you brushed off for way too long?

Talk Freely

Loading…

My grandma swore a pinch of salt would fix my dry pie dough, and after 3 attempts I finally get it | Bakers - Talk Freely