ChefSteps is a team of chefs, writers, and food lovers who develop recipes, techniques, and guides to help people cook better at home.

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Ingredients matter to a pie dough, of course. However, a great pie dough really is made in the process, the way you mix the dough, the temperature of the dough, how long you let it rest, and how you handle it in the end. Process matters. Can you use a machine to make pie dough? Or should you mix by hand? We found you can make good pie dough with any method of mixing. Just use the tool correctly. Mixing by hand gives you the most forgiveness. It might take longer than a machine but it’s also a form of paying-attention meditation. (This is a secret reason why some of us like making pie.) When you make a pie dough by hand, you really gain a feeling of what is happening underneath your hands. However, there is something to be said for making a pie dough with a food processor. Machines help to keep repetitive motions down to a minimum. This method allows you to save the hand work for rolling out and shaping the dough. Mixing by machine can be aggressive, so pay close attention to the process and what is happening in the machine and you will be rewarded.