Pie Crust

A Flaky Pastry For a Two Crust Pie

This is the recipe that Toni used for a 9 inch pie (for a 10 inch pie she rolled it just a little thinner) with slightly better instructions from Allrecipes.com

from Allrecipes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QeKExMgyHQ&list=PL1paqMfnb1gjW3gAFHfw0IW9xEY-7vB3y&index=10

Mixing real butter and Crisco will result in a flakier crust.

Ingredients

9 inch2 cups sifted flour1 teaspoon salt3/4 cups regular or butter flavored Crisco4 to 5 Tablespoons iced water10 inch2 1/2 cups sifted flour1 1/4 teaspoon salt1 stick [1 cup] regular or butter flavored Crisco5 to 6 1/4+ Tablespoons iced water

Prepare ingredients and the bowl [2.5 L – 10 inch]

  1. Measure the Crisco and chill – if you use bars/cubes they are 1 cup
  2. Make sure the Crisco and mixing bowl  are well chilled
  3. Add ice to a cup of water to make iced water

Mix the dough

  1. Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl.
  2. Cut in chilled Crisco by slicing small pieces with a pairing knife and drop them on the flour.If you are using a bar of Crisco simply place it in the bowl with the flour and salt and use the pastry cutter to cut up the bar
  3. Use a pastry cutter to work the Crisco into the flour turning the bowl and scraping the sides until the clumps are the size of small peas.
  4. Sprinkle on the ice water, 1 Tablespoon at a time.
  5. After each Tablespoon, mix in the water gently with a fork.
  6. Repeat until you have added 5 Tablespoons of iced water. When it’s just right the dough will feel cold and slightly moist.
  7. Test the dough by picking up a small handful and gently squeeze it. If it sticks together it’s perfect.
  8. If it’s still too crumbly, add 1/2 Tablespoon of iced water.
  9. Lightly toss the mixture with a fork and test again.Avoid overworking the dough so you don’t end up with a tough dough.Don’t add too much iced water, or you’ll get sticky dough. [I attempt to keep the pie crust dough to dry]The dough should be just moist enough to hold together when squeezed gently in your hand. It should not be sticky.
  10. Dump the dough onto pastry cloth
  11. Pick up the four corners of the pastry cloth and use it to shape the dough into a ball.
  12. Cut the ball in half and shape both halves into balls.
  13. Place each ball in a 1 gallon Ziploc bag or wrap in plastic wrap.
  14. Working from the outside of the bag, squeeze the dough all together into a slightly flat disk shape.
  15. Squeeze the air out and refrigerate the dough for one hour. It needs to rest in the fridge so the flour will absorb the water and the dough will relax and become easier to work.

Roll out the dough

  1. Prepare to roll out the dough by lightly flouring a pastry cloth and wood rolling pin. Keep the rolling pin dusted with flour.
  2. Remove a disk of dough and place it on the pastry cloth.
  3. Flatten the dough slightly with your hands
  4. Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour
  5. Roll outwards from the middle rotating the dough 1/4 turn after every roll. The rolling pin can be rolled in a curving motion over developing cracks.
  6. Continue rolling and rotating until the dough.
  7. Place the pie plate upside down on the dough to see if it’s big enough. The dough should be at least 2 inches wider in diameter than your pie plate and 4 inches wider if your dish is very deep.

Place the dough in a pie plate

  1. Slide one hand under the pastry cloth and rolled-out pie crust.
  2. With the other hand hold the pie plate on top of the pie crust covered by the pie plate.
  3. Turn the pie plate and pastry cloth over.
  4. Press it into the bottom edges.
  5. Trim the edges with a paring knife or kitchen shears leaving an inch of dough overhanging the pie plate.
  6. Crimp the edges of the pie crust carefully.
  7. If the dough cracks fix it with a little piece of dough and water – put a little water on the area to be fixed and press a small piece of dough into the crack.
  8. Cover the  pie crust with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to prevent shrinking during baking.

Two crust pies

  1. If you’re making the top for a two crust pie roll out the second piece of dough making it about an inch wider in diameter than the pie dish.
  2. Transfer it carefully to parchment paper and then onto a baking sheet and refrigerate it 30 minutes.
  3. Fill the pie with pie filling.
  4. Use the parchment paper to transfer the top crust on top of the pie.

If you are baking a pie shell

  1. Follow all instructions down to and including the section “Place the dough in a pie plate“
  2. Cook pie shell on middle oven rack at 450′ for 10 to 15 minutes
  3. Cool pie shell on a rack