Simple Perfect Pie Crust Food

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Cut each stick of butter into 8 pieces, and refrigerate until needed. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and mix to combine.
• Add the chilled butter. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture; the mixture should resemble coarse meal with small pieces of butter, the size of small peas, remaining visible.
• Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over the flour-butter mixture, and blend. Repeat with an additional 2 tablespoons water. At this point, you may have to add more water: When a handful of dough squeezed together just holds its shape, you've added enough; if the dough crumbles, continue incorporating water, 1 tablespoon at a time, checking the consistency after each additional tablespoon.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two equal pieces, and place on two separate sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two disks. Wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Place the chilled dough in the center of the work surface, and dust the dough as well as the rolling pin with flour. Position the rolling pin on the center of the disk, and begin rolling the dough away from you. Give the disk a quarter turn, and roll again. Continue turning and rolling until you have an even 1/8-inch thickness. Turning the dough as you roll will prevent it from sticking to the work surface. A dry pastry brush is handy to remove any excess flour during and after the rolling process.
• Lightly butter the pie plate. To minimize stretching when moving the dough, roll it around the pin, lift up, and unroll over the buttered pie plate. Using your fingers, gently pat the dough into place. Trim any excess dough with a paring knife or kitchen shears, leaving a 1-inch overhang; then fold dough under to reinforce the edge.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
• Separate the dough into thirds. ***Note: Separating it into thirds will result in three thin crusts. If you prefer a more substantial crust, separate it in half.*** Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it's still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)
• When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it's a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it's about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.
• With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt to combine. Add the butter, tossing the cubes through the flour until the pieces are separated from one another and each piece is coated.
• Cut the butter into the flour by pressing the pieces between your palms or fingertips, flattening the cubes into big shards and continuing to toss them in the flour to recoat the shards. The size of the butter will vary depending on the kind of pie you're making: For fruit pies, stop when the butter pieces are about the size of walnut halves. For custard pies, stop when the butter pieces are smaller, about the size of peas.
• Make a well in the center of the mixture. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and mix it in by tossing the flour in the bowl. (This tossing movement lets the moisture incorporate without allowing too much gluten formation.)
• Continue to add ice water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough begins to come together. As it comes together, fold it over itself a few times to make sure it's homogenous. The dough should hold together without noticeable cracks (a sign of underhydration), but it should not be wet or tacky to the touch (a sign of overhydration).
• Form the dough into a disk about 1-inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using, and up to 2 days. (It can also be frozen for up to 3 months, then thawed overnight before using.)

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
• Using fingertips, rub in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add vinegar.
• Use a fork to mix in enough water to form moist clumps.
• Gather dough into ball, divide dough into two equal portions.
• Flatten each portion into a disk.
• Wrap each in plastic wrap, chill 45 minute.
• Soften slightly at room temp.
• before rolling out.
• Fill pie with filling of your choice and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

ALWAYS PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour, shortening and butter, if using, and salt.
• With a pastry blender or two forks or your hands, cut and toss the ingredients until the fat is evenly distributed.
• (Break the fat into pea-size pieces.) In a small bowl or a measuring cup, combine the egg, vinegar and cold water.
• Beat to combine, then add to dry ingredients.
• Mix quickly with a fork with a tossing motion until all the dry ingredients are moistened.
• You can roll this out right away or cover with a damp towel and let it rest in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.
• It behaves better when cool.
• When ready to roll out, divide the dough into equal parts, depending on the size of the pie pans.
• Roll out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Pour flour and salt into a medium sized bowl.
• For sweet pies you can add the sugar and cinnamon at this stage, or you can add the onion and garlic powders for savory items as well.
• Cut butter into small pieces (I quarter my butter lengthwise and then cut off the pieces).
• Add butter to flour. Mix butter in until you have what resembles course meal.
• In small bowl, combine egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of the water and beat together.
• Add to flour and butter mixture and blend together until you have a firm ball of dough.
• Wrap in plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
• Remove dough and roll out evenly on either waxed paper or a floured surface.
• Press rolled dough firmly into pie plate, poking holes along bottom and sides with a fork to allow venting.
• Beat egg white with remaining tablespoon of water and brush the inside of your bottom crust with mixture. This helps the bottom crust bake flaky and remain crispy when baked with a filling.
• If using this to make a 2-crust pie, beat remaining egg white/water mixture with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar until slightly foamy. Place a thick glaze of this on the top crust for sweet pies to get a lovely sweet golden brown flake on the top of your pie! For savory pies omit sugar but still glaze. It makes your pie look beautiful!
• Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes if only baking shell, and approximately 35 minutes when baking with filling. Crust is done when it is golden brown.

SIMPLE PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Mix together flour and salt.
• Cut in lard with pastry blender or 2 knives until the shortening is in pea sized pieces.
• In a 1 cup measure, combine vinegar and egg. Add water to bring to 1 cup. Gradually stir liquid mixture into dry mixture. Add only enough water to make dough cling together.
• Gather into a ball and divide into 3 portions (for 3 double crust pies) or 6 portions (for single crust pies).
• Roll out each portion on a lightly floured surface. If dough is sticking, refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer rolled out dough to pie plate. Trim and flute shells or crust and bake according to your recipe.