Directions: |
Directions:In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt and blend with a pastry blender. Add ¾ of the cold fat (that has been diced into small pieces and chilled until firm) into flour mix.
Working quickly, cut the fat into the flour mixture using a pastry blender. Cut until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal with pea size of fat.
With your hands rub the fat and flour mixture together quickly to encapsulate the flour with the fat. Rub until the mixture takes on a creamy color and the mixture has no flourly appearance. It should look like coarse cornmeal.
Add the remaining butter and cut into the mixture using a pastry blender. There should be large pieces visible!
Create a well in the center of the mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of chilled water. Using a fork, blend the water and flour mixture until the water is absorbed. The mixture will still look crumbling in the bowl, but it should look hydrated. If it still looks dry and floury, add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of water until the mixture looks moistened, but still crumbly.
Turn the mixture onto the work surface, form into a mound and schmear the mixture across the surface. Make sure the schmear enough so that the dough loses its crumbly/dry appearance and looks more like a dough. Do not over-schmear, to much handling will make the dough tough. Cut into two equal pieces, shape into a disk, and wrapped with plastic wrap. Chill dough for a least one hour before rolling it out.
Rolling out the dough:
Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. While the dough is still in the plastic wrap firmly but gently, tap on pie dough with the rolling pin until it is flexible but still cold. Lightly dust the rolling surface with flour. Unwrap and place dough on the surface, lightly flour the top of the disk Using a rolling pin, start rolling the dough out from the center to the edge away from you. Do not use too much pressure or the dough will crack.
Using a rolling pin, start rolling the dough from the center to the edge away from you. Do not use too much pressure, or the dough will crack.
Stop and give the dough a 1/8 turn. This rotation will prevent the dough from sticking to the table and help make a perfect circle.
Re-flour the rolling surface and the top of the dough to prevent the dough from sticking. Continue to roll the dough until it’s about an 1/8 of an inch thick and is 1 inch bigger than the pie plate you will be using.
Brush off any extra flour from the top of the pie dough. Turn the dough over, and brush off any extra flour from the bottom.
Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough loosely around the pin. Position the edge of the dough over the pie plate edge and unroll the dough. Gently ease the dough down over the pie plate, making sure not to stretch the dough.
Filling the Pie Crust:
Fill the pie crust with your choice of filling. Roll out top for the pie and place over the existing shell. Crimp edges. Brush pie with milk
Pie Crust. (Continued)
before placing in the oven. Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crust begins to turn golden brown.
Blind Baking and Baking Double Crust Pies
Single Crust:
If the crust will be blind baked, trim the dough to 1/2 inch from the edge of the pie plate, rolling the excess dough underneath (like rolling a sleeping bag, not just folding it under) to make a thicker edge, finish the edge with your choice of edging.
Dock the dough using a fork and freeze the dough for 20 minutes before baking to help reduce shrinkage.
Removed the chilled pie dough from the freezer; crinkle up some parchment paper so it fits tightly against the dough, line the frozen crust with parchment paper, pressing the paper snuggly against the bottom and sides of crust).
Fill with dry beans to weigh the paper down. (These beans can’t be used for any other purpose, other than for use as a pie weight.
Bake the crust at 375º for 25 minutes or until crust begins to dry. Remove the parchment paper with the beans and bake an additional 6-8 minutes, or until bottom is golden brown.
For fillings that will be baked, fill and bake the pie at this point according to recipe directions.
For fillings that are not baked, continue to bake the crust for another 12 to 15 minutes, or until well browned. Cool before filling.
Double Crust:
Use the same rolling method to roll a top crust as you did to roll the bottom crust.
For the bottom crust, trim the dough so at least a 1-inch of excess dough is hanging over the pie plate. The top crust can be rolled until it’s 1/8 inch thick and trimmed so it is just slightly larger than the pie plate. Put the rolled top dough aside.
Using a rolling pin roll-up the bottom dough. Position the edge of the dough over the pie plate and unroll the dough.
Fill the pie with the filling according to your recipe.
Place the top crust over the filling. Roll the top and bottom edges together underneath the bottom dough and lightly press with your fingers to seal them.
Create the edge of your choice. Brush with egg wash and cut vents with a pairing knife. Bake the pie according to the recipe directions. Remove from the oven and cool. |
This recipe for Pie Crust is from