I have two primary pie crusts.
Miyoko's butter succeeds in these recipes, though its melting point is lower than cow butter, so I tend to return it to the fridge more often to try to retain the layers of fat that produce the flakiness.
Room temperature coconut oil (solid) also succeeds, though the coconut flavor may persist if the coconut oil is odiferous.
Flaky Pie Crust
Makes two flaky crusts. This is Sarah's favorite style crust, though not really mine (not that I like cooked pie crust much anyway -- raw pie crust, on the other hand, is a delicious calorie bomb). This dough is quite easy to assemble as pastry goes, and it is easy to work.
| Ingredients |
Step |
225 g low-protein flour (mixture of cake and/or AP)
1 T. sugar
½ t. (4 g) salt
|
Stir together. |
| 8 oz. (1 c. / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold |
Cube, stir to cover each cube in flour, and then smash each cube briefly with fingers or a fork. Alternatively, loosely cut in. (Don't use fingers with Miyoko's butter.) |
| ½ c. cold water, with ice cubes |
Toss together with dry ingredients. Knead a few times against bowl until it comes together. |
|
Turn dough out onto floured surface. Roll it out to a 10x14"-ish rectangle, flipping the dough repeatedly to check that it isn't sticking. Be generous with flour so it doesn't stick; it won't hurt anything. |
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Fold edges toward middle, then use the middle gap as the spine of a book and fold again to make a long skinny hot dog rectangle. Fold the dough in half hamburger-style to make a thicker, squatter rectangle. (The folding can be rough and imperfect. We're just creating layers of fat separated by layers of flour.) |
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Cut the squat rectangle in half, making two squares. Dust the cut edges with flour if needed. |
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Return both halves to fridge so the butter can set up again. (You can skip this step if it's still quite cold.) |
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To make a bottom crust: Roll out one half into a circle. Place it on the pie dish. Use scissors to trim all but 1½" around the edge. Wrap in plastic wrap and return to fridge to set up for at least 2 hours before baking. |
| parchment paper |
To make a top crust: Roll out one half into a circle. Use scissors to trim all but 1½" around the edge. Prepare a piece of parchment paper on a cutting board, then place crust on the parchment (using a parchment layer stops the dough from picking up flavors). Wrap in plastic wrap and return to fridge to set up for at least 2 hours before baking. |
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When assembling, turn the top edge under the bottom edge. Press edges together with the tines of a fork or by using fingers to scallop. |
Source: Serious Eats (but I learned about this technique originally from the Chicago Tribune, which currently has an aggressive paywall)
Grandma's Pie Crust
My grandma's pie crust is less flaky and harder to work... but delicious and traditional. This recipe yields 2 crusts.
| Ingredients |
Step |
2½ c. flour
¾ t. salt |
Combine in bowl. |
| ¾ c. (1½ sticks / 12 T.) butter |
Cut in until coarse crumbs form. |
| 5 T. water with ice in it |
Sprinkle water gradually over surface, tossing with fork. Then press dough together firmly to form ball. Repeat adding a bit of water until it forms a coherent ball. |
|
Separate the dough into two parts by slicing with a butter knife. Form each part into a ball, then roll out each ball into a 9-inch round that is as thick as you prefer (it won't thicken as it bakes). The raw crust will tend to tear, which you may want to repair by taking excess dough and laying it on top of the cracks, possibly with a wee bit of water as glue, then rolling further. Lay each crust into a pie plate. |
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Trim the long edges of the pie crust so you have about an inch overhang all around using clean scissors or a sharp knife. Lift and roll the raw edge under the rim so the now the crust is only half an inch wide. If desired, lightly press the tines of a fork into the crust across the half-inch lip to create a pretty scalloped effect. |
Source: my great grandma