Making Pie Crust
Source of Recipe
Grandpoohbah
When we think of homemade pie, the sensory overload is so strong that we can
almost see pies cooling in picturesque windows and smell the scrumptious odors
wafting through country houses! Forming piecrust shells is the basis for this delicious
pastry, and we've got tips to make pie crust better than just great!
1 We used the recipe for Best Ever Pie Crust to illustrate this example. There
are 4 necessary ingredients in a standard piecrust: flour, fat, liquid, and salt. Flour is
necessary to form the structure and bulk of the crust; fat to add moisture and to help
keep the crust flaky; liquid to keep the dough somewhat pliable; and salt to enhance
the flavor and brown the crust.
2 When making pie crust, chill the fat (butter, shortening or margarine) and
liquids (milk or water) before beginning. Chilling will prevent the fat pieces from
dissolving into the flour. Stir the flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Cut the
chilled butter or shortening into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter or by pinching
the fat into the mixture with your hands. The resulting mixture should have fat lumps
no smaller than peas. Pour the chilled water, a small amount at a time, into the dry
mixture; mixing gently with a fork until the dough is wet enough to be packed into a
ball. The dough should be handled as little as possible to prevent the blending of all
of the fat lumps, as a crust with no fat lumps will be dense and hard.
3 Split the dough into two equal amounts, roll them into balls and wrap them in
plastic before placing them in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. Chilling
will prevent the fat from absorbed by the flour and give a lighter texture to the crust
when it is baked.
4 Generously dust a clean, dry surface with flour and remove one of the
packages of dough from the refrigerator. Flatten the dough slightly and dust the
dough's top before rolling the dough out with a rolling pin.
5 Start rolling at the center of the dough and work outwards. Some people
prefer do this between sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap because it makes
clean up and rolling easier. Quickly roll the dough into a circle 1/4 or 1/8 inch thick.
The size of the circle should be about four inches wider in diameter than the pie pan.
6 A trick for getting the dough positioned in the pan correctly is to fold the
dough in half and then into quarters. Gently pick it up and place it into the pan so that
the center point is in the center of the pan.
7 Unfold the dough into the pan and it should be perfectly centered. If the dough
cracks a little during this process, press it back together with your fingers or patch
the cracks with a bit of dough from the outer edges.
8 Press the crust firmly into the pan and trim any excess dough from the edge.
Leave a 1/2 inch flap of dough around the edge for fluting or to use when sealing on
the top crust. Once the pie is filled with your chosen filling, it is time to use the
second package of dough. There are many different designs that can be made out of
crust to top pies, but to make a standard top crust, roll the dough out as explained in
step 7 and lay it carefully over the pie. Seal its edges to the lower crust by using a
small amount of water as an adhesive. Use your fingers to pinch the edges together.
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