Totally Awesome Pie Pastry Food

TOTALLY AWESOME PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Mix Five Roses Flour, salt and baking powder together.
• Cut in shortening with two knives or pastry blender.
• Add ice cold water, a little at a time, using just enough to bind the mixture so the dough can be patted lightly to form a ball. HANDLE AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.
• Form 2/3 of dough into a round disc and place on lightly floured board. Save remaining dough for top crust. Roll dough from center outward, with a light, even pressure, to form a circle 1/8 inch thick and an inch larger than the pie plate.
• Fold double and lift gently into pie plate. Unfold and fit loosely in place. DO NOT STRETCH.
• Trim edges, allowing 1/4 to 1/2 inch extra all around. Put in a generous amount of filling. Heap fruit filling in center because it will cook down during baking.
• Roll out top crust; fold double and cut slits or fancy design near center to allow steam to escape.
• Brush edges of bottom crust with water, fit top crust over filling and lightly press top edges together. Trim edges evenly and flute.
• Bake as directed for pie filling.
• Yield: One 9 inch double crust pie or two 9 inch single shells.
• Single Shell:.
• Use only 1/2 of dough for each single shell. Arrange bottom crust in pie pan as above.
• Press pastry to rim of pie plate; flute.
• Add filling. Bake as directed for filling.

BASIC PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and ice water and work that in with your hands. (Or do the whole thing in a food processor, pulsing a couple of times to combine the dry ingredients, then pulsing in the butter, and then the egg.) Check the consistency of the dough by squeezing a small amount together between thumb and forefingers: You want there to be just enough moisture to bind the dough so that it holds together without being too wet or sticky. If it's still crumbly, add a little more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time. When you get it to the right consistency, shape the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic. Put it in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

NEVER, NEVER FAIL PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together water, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Stir into flour mixture and knead dough briefly, just until smooth. Allow to rest 15 minutes before rolling out. Pastry is easier to work with when chilled. Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

PERFECT PROCESSOR PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Place flour and salt in food processor. Pulse 2-3 seconds.
• Add butter and shortening to flour.
• Pulse until fat is reduced to tiny pieces.
• With motor running, drizzle ice water through feed tube.
• Process continuously until particles are moistened but NOT yet formed into a ball.
• Remove dough from bowl and shape into a ball.
• Divide in 2 flat disks.
• Cover each with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator at least 30 minutes before rolling.
• Makes 1 (9") double crust or 2 (9") single crust pies.
• Tips:.
• It is essential the butter, shortening and water be ice cold.
• Use minimal amount of water and take care not to overprocess after adding it.
• Best if you form the ball, not the machine.
• Add sugar to the flour if you are making a sweet pie.
• Can be made by hand using a pastry cutter.

PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Rub the lard and butter into the flour with a generous pinch of sea salt until completely combined. Add the beaten egg and 100ml ice-cold water and mix until you have a soft dough. Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 1 hr, or until needed.
• Divide the pastry into 12 equal pieces and roll out into rounds on a lightly floured surface. Use six of the rounds to line the bottoms of six individual pie dishes, leaving an overhang. Fill the pies with the mixture of your choice, brush the rims with some of the egg yolk, top with the remaining pastry rounds, then trim and crimp the edges. Decorate with the trimmings, if you like. Glaze with more egg yolk, or as indicated in the filling recipe, and chill until you're ready to cook.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6 with a baking tray inside. Put the pies on the hot tray and bake for 30-35 mins until golden. Leave to rest as directed, then serve in the dishes or turn out onto plates.