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Pie Crust |
When looking for a recipe for pie crust, there are four things that must be taken in consideration: 1. What is the size of your pie dish (8", 9", or 10"). 2. Are you making a one-crust pie or two-crust pie? A coconut pie, for instance, will have a meringue on top and you only need one crust. An apple pie will have a bottom and top crust. 3. Do you use an unbaked pie shell or a baked pie shell? An apple pie, for instance, would use a 2-crust unbaked shell. A chocolate, lemon, or coconut cream pie would use a 1-crust baked shell. 4. Do you want a flaky or mealy crust? If there is one baking skill that every good cook admires above all others, it must be the ability to make excellent pie crust. Some of them prefer traditional flaky crust, while others prefer crust made with oil (tender, but somewhat more mealy than those made with shortening or butter). I'm giving you recipes for both kinds, so just take your pick. Pastry Made with Shortening - This is the traditional or standard pie crust. Measure the shortening in nested measuring cups. Press it into the cup to avoid air pockets and level it off with a knife or spatula. Pastry for 1-crust pie (8" or 9"): 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter-flavored shortening 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons ice cold water Pastry for 1-crust pie (10"): 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening 3-4 tablespoons ice cold water Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or with two knives until mixture is the consistency of coarse cornmeal or tiny peas. Sprinkle on cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing mixture lightly and stirring with fork. Add water each time to the driest part of mixture. The dough should be just moist enough to hold together when pressed gently with a fork. It should not be sticky. Shape dough into smooth ball. To make unbaked pie shell: On lightly floured surface, roll pastry from the center out in all directions to 1/8" thickness, making a 10" - 11" circle. Fold rolled dough in half and ease it loosely into pie pan, with fold in center. Gently press out air pockets with finger tips and make certain there are no openings for juices to escape. Fold under edges of crust and press into an upright rim. Crimp edge as desired. Refrigerate until ready to fill. To make baked pie shell: Roll pastry as directed above, pricking entire surface evenly and closely (1/4" to 1/2" apart) with a 4-tined fork. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake pie shell at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until browned the way you like it. Cool before filling. Pastry for 2-crust pie (8" or 9"): 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter-flavored shortening 4-5 tablespoons cold water Pastry for 2-crust pie (10"): 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter-flavored shortening 6 tablespoons ice cold water Combine ingredients as directed for 1-crust pastry above. Divide dough in half and shape into two smooth balls with hands, smoothing edges so there are no breaks. For bottom crust: Press 1 dough ball in flat circle with hands on lightly floured surface. Roll it lightly with short strokes from center in all directions to 1/8" thickness, making a 10" to 11" circle. Fold rolled dough in half and ease it loosely into pie pan with fold in center. Unfold and fit into pan, using care not to stretch dough. Gently press out air pockets with finger tips. Make certain there are no openings for juices to escape. Trim edge even with pie pan. Then roll top crust. For top crust: Roll second ball of dough like the first one. Put filling in pastry-lined pan. Fold pastry circle in half; lift it to the top of the pie with fold in center. Gently unfold over top of pie. Trim with scissors to 1/2" beyond edge of pie. Fold top edge under bottom crust and press gently with fingers to seal and to make an upright edge. Crimp edge as desired. Cut vents in top crust or prick with fork to allow steam to escape (or cut vents or use small decorative shape cutters before placing pastry on top of pie). Bake as pie recipe directs. Pastry Made with Butter - This is another traditional or standard pie crust. The butter should be very cold and cut into 1 tablespoon pieces. Pastry for 2-crust pie (8" or 9"): 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 cup butter, very cold and cut into 1 tablespoon pices 1/4 - 1/2 cup cold water Put the flour, salt and sugar into a food processor and pulse once or twice. Add the butter and process until the mixture looks grainy. Then slowly, while pulsing, add the water until you can form the dough by pressing it between your fingers. Decant the loose dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Using the wrap, fold the loose dough towards the middle and press with the back of your hands to form dough. Split into two pieces and wrap each and chill for at least 4 hours before using. The dough can be made ahead for up to one week. Pastry Made with Oil - The pastry dough is tender. One advantage of using oil is that it's easy to measure. Be sure to roll it between sheets of waxed paper. Pastry for 1-crust pie (8" or 9"): 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup cooking oil 2 tablespoons ice cold water Combine the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add oil, mix well with fork. Sprinkle cold water over mixture and mix well. Make a smooth ball of dough. (If mixture is too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons more oil, a little at a time). For baking, follow same directions for flaky pastry. Pastry for 2-crust pie (8" or 9"): 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup cooking oil 3 tablespoons ice cold water Combine ingredients as directed for pastry above. Using your hands, press the mixture into a smooth ball. Divide the ball in half and flatten both parts slightly. For baking, follow same directions for flaky pastry.
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