Pie crust is something every Pie Lover feels strongly about. Flakey, tender, butter, shortening, lard, eggs, vodka, the recipes are endless and every one will have someone proclaiming its merit. I’m in no way claiming this to be the ABSOLUTE BEST, but, I have found this recipe to be tasty and very easy to work with.
- 2 1/2 Cups All purpose flour
- 1 Cup Unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small cubes. I'm sort of a butter snob and like the color and taste of European butter, but I'll use whatever is in the fridge.
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Sugar
- 4 - 8 Tablespoons Ice cold water
Place all the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Add butter a few cubes at a time and pulse 5 times the let it run for 5 seconds. Continue until all the butter is used and the dough looks like coarse meal. If you don’t have a food processor use a pastry blender (it is the wooden handle with 5 wires), you don’t have this either? Don’t despair. You can use your fingers. Rub the butter into the flour until it the dough looks right.
Now is the time to add the water. Turn the food processor off and sprinkle 4 Tablespoons of the water over the dough. If you add it while the processor is running the water falls to the bottom and you end up over working the dough. Pinch a bit of the dough and see if it holds together, if it doesn’t then add one Tablespoon at a time, until it begins to hold together. The dough should not be too wet. If you are working the dough by hand toss the dough with a fork to incorporate the water.
Divide the dough in half and form into 2 disks. The tighter the disk the easier it will be to roll out later. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour to let the dough rest. This is necessary to make it easier to roll out the dough.
On a floured surface or pastry sheet roll each disk you will use into a 14 in circle. This is probably the most frustrating and intimidating part of pie making. Roll the dough in one direction not back and forth, easing up at the edge so it does not get too thin: 12 o’clock, 6 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 9 o’clock, roll around the clock. Rotate the dough so it doesn’t stick too much. Continue this until you get to the right size.
Carefully roll the dough over the rolling pin to move it to the pie dish. Gently guide it into the dish trying not to stretch the dough too much. If it tears don’t worry, just pinch it together and remember no one will see it because it will be filled with delicious fruit.
Depending upon your taste you may not want to trim the dough to a one inch overhang. If you are making a double crust pie, now is the time to pour in your fruit filling. Cover the fruit with the other crust. Pinch the top and bottom crust together and roll the edge under so it sits on the edge of the pie dish. Begin crimping or fluting the crust so it looks as beautiful as it will taste. Don’t worry if it does not look like a processed pie, it won’t taste like one either!!!!
I like to make a foil ring to cover the edge of the pie so it does not burn. I hope this helps. I know pie crust can be intimidating, but like anything practice makes perfect and the more you practice the more delicious pies you can eat. I’m still trying to get my pies to look as beautiful as the ones my Aunt made when I was younger.