Few delights surpass a delicious, flaky homemade pie crust. I’ve had my share of fails, and when I taught team building cooking classes I even had a team declare itself the “Soggy Bottom Tarts.” I was determined to put this behind me and find a recipe that works every time.
Thus, I’ve been fiddling with pie crust recipes for years. I experimented with butter versus lard versus shortening, whether to work in by hand, pastry cutter or Cuisinart. Egg or no? Ice water only or a little vinegar?
After fiddling and tweaking, I’ve arrived at my go-to pie dough, the one I use whether I’m making a caramelized onion tart with goat cheese, or a lemon meringue pie.
And today, my friends, I share it with you.
My hope is that everyone will enjoy your pie more often, and stand up straight with confidence.
A few notes for pie dough success:
Be cool. Use cold fat, always. Some serious bakers put the flour, and even the mixing bowl, into the freezer before working. To get perfect-temperature ice water, put a glass of water on the counter and add the ice – let it sit until it’s quite cold; ten minutes should do it.
Try butter and shortening. Butter for the flavor, shortening for flakiness. When I worked on the Crisco business I learned that Crisco is formulated for baking, and it lends a tender crumb and flaky texture. Flakiness and flavor – the best pie crust combination ever.
Tiny pieces are easier to mix. My farmer friend Abra, who trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School and worked at Hoosier Mama Pie Company, came over to make a pie once. She cut the butter into the tiniest pieces, about an eigth of an inch, to make it faster to mix by hand.
Use a light touch. Handle the dough as little as possible for a more tender pastry. This goes for mixing, kneading and rolling.
You can double this recipe for a double crust pie, or make multiples and freeze the dough tightly wrapped and tucked into a zipper bag. Transfer to the fridge the day before you plan to make your pie. When I’m making multiples, I use my KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Works like a dream.
Janine’s easy pie dough
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and put to rest in the freezer
1 tablespoon vinegar
3 tablespoons ice water
Whisk together the flour and salt and scatter with the butter and shortening. Using a pastry blender or your quick fingers, work the fat into the flour until it resembles coarse oatmeal. In a small bowl, mix the vinegar and ice water and pour over the dough. Use your fingers or a big spoon to form a dough. Dump onto a sheet of wax paper or cling wrap and knead a few times until it comes together. Depending on humidity, you may need to add another teaspoon of water or two. Wrap, then form a flat disk and put into the refrigerator to rest for at least an hour.
Let’s connect! Are we Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest friends? Photos and recipes by Janine MacLachlan, RusticKitchen.com. All rights reserved.