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Which Kitchen Aid attachment (paddle or whisk) do you use to make pie dough?

According to the directions that came with my Kitchen Aid mixer, I should use the flat paddle to make my pie dough. However, I have also read that the wire whisk cuts the shortening into the flour better. I have always made my pie dough by hand, cutting the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender. But I want to try it with my mixer. Which attachment do you use? Do you reccommend the mixer over the old fashion method?

Public Comments

1. I use the paddle.The dough gets too heavy for the whisk. If you're making a lot of dough to freeze or whatever,the mixer is good.I have a recipe that makes dough for 6 pies at once that I use all the time so I always have pie crusts on hand. Dough for one or two pies I would still do by hand.
2. Use the Paddle on your mixer- when the shortening isn't cut into the flour extremely well, you will have a nice flaky crust. Good Luck!
3. I use the paddle. The whisk will beat the shortening too much and you won't get a great flaky crust. You need those chunks of shortening to make it flaky.
4. I'd just make it by hand.
5. I dunno I've never made pie dough in my KA mixer I've always used the processor and pulsed it. If you do use the mixer use the paddle and basically pulse the speed control because w/ a KA over mixing is a very real possibility..If you have the KA model where the bowl drops down you can quickly get your dough to safety before too much bad happens to it