Flaky Double Crust Pastry Food

FLAKY PASTRY DOUGH

Steps:

• Add the flour and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter and toss to combine. With your fingers, begin to "smush" the butter into flat pieces. Continue smushing until all the butter is flattened but none of the pieces are larger than a quarter. The flour will look like coarse cornmeal.
• Add the water, quickly folding it in with a wooden spoon to distribute the moisture. (Do not stir vigorously--the dough should appear shaggy.) Use your hands to break up any large clumps of moisture. Then use your knuckles or a palm to smear the dough up the sides of the bowl (a technique known as fraisage). This distributes the butter over a larger surface to achieve larger flakes and compact the dough. Once you've gone around the bowl one time, fold the dough over itself a few times to pick up any dry bits from the bottom. Gently press the dough into a disk. (Note: The dough should remain very cool to the touch throughout the process. If it approaches room temperature, refrigerate it for 5 to 10 minutes to chill.)
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll out to a 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Perform a letter fold by folding one of the short ends towards the middle and the other short end over the first, like folding a business letter.
• Turn the dough 90 degrees, so the long side faces you, and perform a second letter fold. Turn the dough 90 degrees again; perform a third letter fold.
• If the dough still feels cool, it can be used immediately. Otherwise, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.

EXTRA-FLAKY PASTRY DOUGH

Steps:

• Whisk sugar, salt, and 1 1/3 cups flour in a medium bowl. Cut butter into 6 rectangular pieces (if using 1/2-cup sticks, cut them in half crosswise, then in half again lengthwise). Toss butter in dry ingredients to coat, then dump mixture out onto a work surface. Roll butter into flour until it is in long flexible strips, using a bench scraper to scrape butter off rolling pin or surface as needed.
• Use bench scraper to gather mixture into a loose pile, then drizzle 4 Tbsp. ice water over. Using your hands and the bench scraper, toss mixture until water is distributed, then gather into a rectangular pile. Roll out dough to a long rectangle with short ends about 8" wide, then use bench scraper to fold dough into thirds, like folding a letter. It will be very crumbly and loose; don't panic. Using bench scraper to help, turn rectangle 90° and repeat rolling and folding, gathering loose bits of dough from outer edges into the center and flouring surface as needed. Repeat rolling and folding a third time. Dough should be somewhat homogenous and creamy-looking with some dry bits around edges. Squeeze a bit in your palm; it should loosely hold together. If not, repeat rolling and folding. Wrap folded dough in plastic, then press it into a compact disk about 1" thick. Chill 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12"-14" round or oval about 1/8" thick (don't worry about cracks around perimeter). Dust surface and rolling pin with flour as needed and rotate dough often to prevent wider cracks. If dough sticks to surface, lift on one side and scatter flour underneath before continuing. Roll dough onto your pin, then unfurl it on a sheet of parchment paper. Slide onto a rimmed baking sheet and chill while you prep the filling.
• Do Ahead: Dough can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled, or transfer to a resealable plastic bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out.

CLASSIC LARD TWO-CRUST PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the lard with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, blending gently with a fork or pastry blender until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans the sides of the bowl. Divide the dough in half and shape flattened rounds. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

FLAKY DOUBLE-CRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the flour and salt.
• Add the shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add the butter and pulse several times, until the butter is the size of small peas.
• Sprinkle evenly with the ice water and pulse just until the dough comes together.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly once or twice.
• Divide the dough in half; pat each half into a 6-inch disk.
• Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes or overnight.

PASTRY FOR DOUBLE PIE-CRUST

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half so one ball is slightly larger than the other., Roll out the larger ball to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry with even with edge of plate. Pour desired filling into crust. , Roll out second ball; cut slits in pastry. Position over filling. Trim pastry to 1 in. beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top crust over bottom crust. Flute edges. Bake according to recipe directions.

PERFECT DOUBLE CRUST PASTRY SHELL

Steps:

• Be sure to sift flour before measuring.
• Put sifted flour in large bowl. Add salt and stir together.
• Add shortening in chunks with a butter knife.
• Cut together until lumpy.
• Add water a little at a time and shape into a ball.
• Cut ball in half and roll out crust one at a time on a floured surface until it's about 1/8 inch thick.
• Roll part way onto your rolling pin and transfer to your pie pan.
• Prick holes in the bottom and sides with a fork.
• Add whatever pie ingredients you are using.
• Put top crust on and press edges together.
• Cut slits in top crust with a knife for venting.
• Bake according to your pie's requirements.
• If using a pudding recipe, bake pie shell at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
• Watch it so it doesn't get too brown.

ALL-BUTTER DOUBLE PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Use a bench scraper to cut butter into ½-inch cubes. (If butter begins to "sweat," dust with flour.) In a large, flat-bottomed bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter cubes and toss to coat with the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour; do not smash or smear the butter. Scrape butter off the pastry blender during the mixing process and continue mixing. (If butter is softening too fast, put the bowl in the refrigerator until butter firms up, 2-5 minutes.) Continue cutting, working quickly, until butter is broken down and looks like a coarse crumble with only a few larger pieces.
• Combine vinegar with water and ice; you'll use 10-12 tablespoons of this liquid in the pie dough. Begin by sprinkling 4 tablespoons of liquid over the flour mixture; use a bench scraper or your hands to incorporate until the mixture begins to come together. Sprinkle in 4 more tablespoons of liquid and continue the mixing process. Squeeze a fistful of dough: if it holds, like wet sand, it's ready. If it falls apart, add 1-2 more tablespoons of liquid at a time, squeezing the dough to check if it holds. Bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of liquid as necessary; dough will look shaggy. Knead in the bowl just until incorporated.
• Turn dough onto a work surface and use a bench scraper to divide dough into two equal pieces. (Note: If you're making the Blueberry Slab Pie, do not divide the dough; shape it into one large, flat disk.) Shape into flat disks and wrap in plastic; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen up to 1 month, tightly wrapped. (Note: If you're making the Peach Skillet Pie, stop here; you'll begin that lesson with two chilled disks of dough.)
• Generously grease pie dish with softened butter. Dust a work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Place one chilled pie disk on the work surface and lightly dust it with flour. (Reserve the other disk to use as a top crust for the Salted Caramel Apple Pie or Peach Skillet Pie, or to line a tart pan for the Farmer Cheese and Thyme Pie.)Roll dough by starting at the center and lightly pressing down with the rolling pin to flatten slightly. Rotate the dough and repeat, pressing down so it's evenly flattened all around, about ⅛-inch thick. Then roll outward to make a circle, rotating the dough a quarter-turn at a time to keep it even. (If dough is softening too fast, chill in the refrigerator until firm, 2-5 minutes.) Roll the dough until it's about 2-3 inches larger than the pie dish, all the way around. Use a pizza wheel to trim away the rough edges. (Save the scraps to make crust cookies!)
• Overturn pie dish onto the center of the dough circle, then remove and place it right side up on your work surface. Use the light indentation created by the rim as a guide for gently positioning dough into the center of the dish. (If dough is softening too fast, put it back into the refrigerator until it firms up, 2-5 minutes.) Fit dough gently into dish, being careful not to stretch it. Begin crimping the edge by using your fingers to roll the dough firmly so it rests on top of the rim. Crimp by using your index finger and thumb on one hand to squeeze a letter "C" into the dough rim. (Lightly flour your fingers if the dough is sticking.) Repeat, crimping the entire pie and making sure the final fluted crust sits directly on top of the pan's rim. Chill until it is ready to be filled and baked.