Flaky Tender Pie Crust Food

BUTTER FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
• Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

PERFECT TENDER FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Measure flour and salt into bowl. Add oil; mix with a fork, until particals are the size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until flour is moistened and dough almost cleans the sides of the bowl. (If dough seems too dry, 1 to 2 tablespoons oil can be added. Do not add water.If dough seems a bit too wet, add a tiny bit of additional flour).Gather dough together;PRESS FIRMLY INTO A BALL. After pressing firmly into a ball,the less the dough is handled the more flaky the crust will be.
• Divide dough in half ; place one half cut side down and flatten into a round. Roll each round of dough between two sheets of wax paper. Gently peel off one sheet of wax paper and turn dough upside down. Peel off remaining sheet of wax paper after placing bottom crust into pan leaving a 1/2 inch overlap around pan edge.( Fill with desired pie filling.) Repeat with top crust rolling out same as bottom crust leaving 1 inch overhang around pan edge). Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on the rim to seal; flute edges as desired.
• Cut slits to vent steam in top of pie. I usually moisten my hands with a little water and dab across top crust. Sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar across the top of the pie, but not on the fluted areas of crust. Bake as directed following your pie recipe.
• *Do not use quick mixing flour in this recipe. If using self-rising flour,omit the salt. Pie crusts made with self-rising flour will differ in flavor and texture from those made with regular flour. (I always use regular flour.).
• Lots of people say they can't make a good pie crust. You can using this recipe,just work with the dough. It may take a time or two, until you become used to making the dough and working with it. Just remember to press the dough into a firm ball before rolling it out between the wax paper sheets. Another small bonus for me is that it uses oil instead of hydrogenated fats.

EASY ALL-BUTTER FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Add 1 ½ cups flour, salt, and sugar (optional) to a food processor. Pulse 2 to 3 times until combined. The remaining cup of flour will be added later.
• Scatter butter cubes over flour and process until a dough or paste begins to form, about 15 seconds. (There should be no uncoated flour).
• Scrape bowl, redistribute the flour-butter mixture then add remaining 1 cup of flour. Pulse 4 to 5 times until flour is evenly distributed. (Dough should look broken up and a little crumbly).
• Transfer to a medium bowl then sprinkle ice water over mixture - start with 4 tablespoons and add from there. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs should begin to form larger clusters. If you pinch some of the dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough falls apart, add 2 to 4 more tablespoons of water and continue to press until dough comes together.
• Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Work the dough just enough to form a ball. Cut the ball in half then form each half into discs. Wrap each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months (just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using it).
• Add 1 1/2 cups flour, salt and sugar (optional) to a medium bowl. Stir 2 to 3 times until combined.
• Scatter butter cubes over flour and mix briefly with a fork or spatula to coat the butter with flour.
• Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender, working mixture until the flour has a coarse, mealy texture similar to fresh bread crumbs. About 1 - 2 minutes.
• Add remaining 1 cup of flour. Work butter and flour with the pastry blender until flour is evenly distributed. About 20 seconds. (Dough should look crumbly with pea-sized pieces).
• Sprinkle ice water over the mixture - start with 4 tablespoons and add from there. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs should begin to form larger clusters. If you pinch some of the dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough falls apart, add 2 to 4 more tablespoons of water and continue to press until dough comes together.
• Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Work the dough just enough to form a ball. Cut ball in half then form each half into discs. Wrap each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months (just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using).
• Remove one of the dough discs from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
• Lightly flour work surface, top of dough and rolling pin. Then use rolling pin to roll out dough to a 12-inch circle (about 1/8-inch thick). Be sure to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below - add a small amount of flour when necessary.
• Check for size by inverting pie dish over dough round. Look for a 1-inch edge around the pie dish. To transfer dough to dish, starting at one end, roll dough around rolling pin then unroll over dish.
• Gently press dough down into dish so that it lines the bottom and sides of the dish. (Be careful not to pull or stretch the dough). Then, use a knife or pair of kitchen scissors to trim dough to within 1/2-inch of the edge of the dish.
• Fold edge of dough underneath itself so that it creates a thicker, 1/4-inch border that rests on the lip of the dish. Then, crimp edges by pressing the pointer finger of one hand against the edge of the dough from the inside of the dish while gently pressing with two knuckles of the other hand from the outside. Refrigerate dough at least 20 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes before baking.
• If making a double crust pie, do not crimp edges yet. Roll out second dough disc, fill pie then top with second dough round. Trim the edges then crimp.
• Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a baking sheet on a middle oven rack.
• Roll out enough dough to make one 9-inch crust (1 dough disk). Place into a pie plate and then pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork (this prevent air pockets or bubbles from forming while baking). Line the crust with two sheets of aluminum foil or parchment paper. (Be sure to push foil against the edges of the crust). Then, fill foil with dried rice, dried beans or pie weights. Refrigerate 30 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
• Place pie crust onto preheated baking sheet and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden.
• Make an egg wash by whisking one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of cream in a small bowl. Then, remove rice, beans or pie weights and foil from pie crust. Brush the bottom and sides of the crust with egg wash. Bake until egg wash is dry and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool crust completely before filling.
• Oven temperature and bake time for double crust pies will vary depending on the pie recipe you plan to follow. As an example, we set our oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for our double crust cherry pie (see the recipe here).
• Remove half of dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 13-inch (1/8-inch thick) circle.
• Check for size by inverting pie dish over dough round. Look for a 1-inch edge around the pie dish. Carefully press the dough into the dish. Spoon the pie filling into pie crust.
• Roll out second half of dough then top pie. Use a knife or pair of kitchen scissors to trim dough to within 3/4-inch of the edge of the dish.
• Fold edges of top crust underneath edges of bottom crust, pressing the edge to seal it so that it creates a thicker, 1/4-inch border that rests on the lip of the dish. Then, crimp edges by pressing the pointer finger of one hand against the edge of the dough from the inside of the dish while gently pressing with two knuckles of the other hand from the outside. Refrigerate pie at least 20 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes before baking.
• Just before baking, make egg wash by whisking egg yolk and cream together in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush over the top crust. Then, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Then, cut 3 to 4 slits in top of pie. Bake as directed by the specific recipe you are following.

PERFECTLY FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, and sugar until well combined. Using clean hands, add butter and toss until just coated. Rub butter between thumb and forefingers to incorporate into flour mixture until butter is in lima bean-sized pieces and comes together in quarter-sized clumps when squeezed in palm, about 2 minutes. Add shortening, toss until just coated in flour, then rub into flour mixture until mixture forms pea-size pieces (some big chunks should remain) and comes together in fist-sized clumps when squeezed, about 1 minute. Drizzle in half ice water and rake through mixture with fingers until just moistened. Drizzle in remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and comb through mixture with fingers to moisten. It will go from being a shaggy mess to coming together. Dough is moist enough when it is moistened through but is not wet when pressed. (Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.)
• While rotating the bowl with 1 hand, push dough between other palm and side of bowl to gather into a ball. Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close in wrap. Place in coldest part of refrigerator (usually back bottom shelf) at least 30 minutes before rolling out and forming into a crust.

MIRACLE FLAKY LARD PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Place a medium mixing bowl in the freezer to chill.
• Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a reclosable gallon-size freezer bag, and whisk them together.
• Using a melon baller, scoop 1/2-1 inch balls of the lard directly into the flour, shaking the bag occasinally to distribute and cover them with the flour.
• If the room is warm and the lard starts getting very soft, place the bag in the freezer for about 10 minutes before proceeding.
• It is is still firm but squishable once it's all been added, using a rolling pin, roll together the lard and flour until the lard is in thin flakes.
• Place the bag in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
• Empty the flour mixture into the cold bowl, scraping the sides of the bag to release all of it.
• Set the bag aside.
• Sprinkle on the ice water and vinegar, tossing gently with a rubber spatula to incorporate it evenly.
• Spoon the mixture back into the plastic bag (if using caul fat, which is softer, the dough will already hold together, so it's easier to empty it out onto a piece of plastic wrap and knead it lightly from the outside of the wrap).
• Holding both ends of the bag opening with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag, with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.
• Sprinkle the dough on both sides with a little whole wheat flour, wrap it with plastic wrap, flatten into a disc, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight.
• STORES refrigerated up to 3 days; frozen, up to 3 months.
• NOTE: When rolling the dough, roll it directly on the counter or on plastic wrap.
• Sprinkle both sides of the dough and the counter or plastic wrap amply with whole wheat flour as needed to keep it from sticking.
• (The whole wheat flour will not toughen it and will give it extra crunch and a lovely, wheaty flavor.) POINTERS FOR SUCCESS: Pay particular attention to temperature, keeping the lard well-chilled.
• When mixing the lard flakes/flour mixture with the liquid, stir gently so as to maintain large flakes of lard.

OUR FAVORITE PIE CRUST RECIPE-HOW TO MAKE A TENDER PIE CRUST

Steps:

• For a flaky, tender crust (as opposed to one that's harder, mealy, and more cookie-like), the following works well.
• Whisk together all of the dry ingredients, reserving a few tablespoons of the flour.
• Cut in half of the fat, working the mixture until it's mealy and crumbly.
• Place the reserved flour on your work surface, and coat the remaining fat with the flour.
• Use a rolling pin or the heel of your hand to flatten the fat till it's about 1/2-inch thick.
• Break this flour-coated fat into 1-inch pieces, and mix it into the dough, just till it's evenly distributed; some of the pieces of flour-coated fat should break into smaller pieces.
• Sprinkle the liquid(s) over the dough while tossing with a fork.
• Just as soon as the dough becomes cohesive (i.e., you can squeeze it into a ball easily), stop mixing; there should still be visible pieces of fat in the dough.
• Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap or waxed paper.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the water, making the dough easier to roll out.
• Flour your work surface and roll the dough into a 12 x 9-inch (approximately) rectangle.
• (If it isn't holding together well, sprinkle it lightly with a couple of teaspoons of water.
• Fold the dough into thirds (like a letter), then fold it into thirds the opposite way, to form a rough square. Wrap it well and refrigerate again.).
• When you're "ready to roll," remove the dough from the fridge.
• If the dough is made with all lard and/or vegetable shortening, you'll be able to work with it directly from the refrigerator.
• A dough made with all butter will need to warm slightly (10 to 15 minutes) before rolling, as butter becomes brittle when it's refrigerated.
• Dough made with a combination of butter and shortening should rest for about 5 minutes at room temperature before rolling.
• Roll the dough to the size needed (about 13 inches for a 9-inch pie).
• Fill and bake as directed in your recipe.
• Note: in this particular recipe, cut all of the lard or vegetable shortening into the flour, then coat the butter with flour before adding it to the dough.

PIE CRUST - TENDER & FLAKY

Steps:

• 1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar.
• 2. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn't get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball.
• 3. When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. On a floured surface roll each disk out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make a 9-inch pie.
• 4. Note: Food processor method - which is what I use : I place the flour, salt, and sugar in processor bowl. Pulse to blend. I then add the shortening, pulse about 6 times. Add the cold butter, pulse 10 - 12 times, then add the water, pulse till all starts to come together and will hold together ...I never have to chill it. The above directions are what were on the back of the box of flour..My way is so much easier, if you have a food processor, I would suggest that method.

TENDERFLAKE PIE CRUSTS

Steps:

• Stir the flour and salt together.
• Cut in the lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the shortening is in pea size pieces.
• In a measuring cup, combine the egg and vinegar.
• Add enough cold water to make one cup.
• Stir the liquid into the flour mixture, adding just enough to make the dough cling together.
• Stir the water in with a wooden spoon until mixed thoroughly, then gather the dough into a ball, and separate into 6 portions.
• Cover and refrigerate for one hour, you can chill overnite, covered, providing you leave it at room temp for 15 mins before rolling.
• Lightly flour surface and roll into circles, then pat the dough into pie pans, following pie recipes. Be careful not to stretch the dough.
• This is also a good dough for tarts, but you will want to roll the dough a little thicker than you would for pies.