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.Pie Dough

Source of Recipe

From "Mosquito Supper Club" by Melissa Martin


Recipe Introduction

"I've made pie dough many different ways, but I tend to come back to this classic recipe of freshly milled grains, butter, salt, and water. I learned the technique from Tara Jensen of Smoke Signals Baking. She taught me to smudge the butter rather than cut it in. When you press the butter and flour through your fingers, the two ingredients are slightly combined and ready to merge with just a little hydration (water). Tara taught me how to roll the dough out first into a long strip so it can be folded up into a neat little stack to get layers of flakiness in the pie dough. With this technique, you will see large pieces of butter streaked throughout a rustic flaky piecrust."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 5 cups freshly milled flour
â—¦ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
â—¦ 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted European-style or other high-fat butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled


Recipe

Put 2 cups water in the freezer to chill.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add the butter to the flour mixture and smudge it in with your fingers. Take the water out of the freezer and work it into the flour mixture 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough comes together (you may not need all the water).

Divide the dough into four equal-size disks. Put two disks in a large bowl, cover with a clean dish towel, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. Wrap the other two disks well in plastic wrap and freeze for another baking adventure (they will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer).

When you are ready to roll out the dough, take the disks out of the refrigerator and transfer to a floured work surface. Pat the dough into a very long cylinder, then roll it into a piece of dough 2 feet long by 4 inches wide. Starting at one end, fold the dough 4 inches at a time, until you have a stack of folded dough (this will help distribute the butter in streaks and makes for a flakier crust). Do this with both disks. Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes, then roll out into a circle per the pie directions.


Makes four 12-ounce disks of dough,
enough for 2 double-crust or 4 single-crust pies