I started out calling this "easy" pie crust, but no pie crust is ever easy. It's easier than other recipes, which I will tell you about momentarily. In the meantime, this is a great recipe to learn from, if you're going to try making your first pie ever. You can thank me for my honesty later!
There are lots of different ways you can make pie crust, and I do not profess to know all of them. However, in my repertoire of pie-baking, there are two ways: simple and complicated. I use the simple for every-day use: "dinner" pies (like chicken pot pie) and "weekday" pies (as in, not on a holiday). My honey LOVES pie, and so I like to surprise him sometimes with something a little special for no particular reason except that I love him.
You can complicate the recipe by adding extra goodies: tenderizers like eggs and vinegar, or great flavor with butter. Or use pastry flour for an extra-special touch. Adding these things makes it harder to work with, but the finished product really melts in your mouth. That's why I save it for special occasions. :)
During the week, of course, I have little hands constantly helping, so I don't have time or patience to work with a finicky crust. In my book, that's the main difference: these more simple recipes are more forgiving, whereas the more complicated recipes, while not much more complicated in execution, require a little more TLC. Make sense?
SO. I give you simplicity in a pie crust. It's very forgiving and user-friendly. And I promise, it makes a wonderful pie. Tender and flaky and everything you want a pie crust to be.
First, mix your dry ingredients (in this case just flour and salt) in a medium mixing bowl.
Then "cut" in the shortening. (I wanted to show you this super-awesome measuring plunger--it's not necessary, but it's SO helpful with sticky things like shortening and peanut butter.) When you cut in a fat, you can do it with a pastry blender, or with two knives crossing each other. You can also just use a fork and mix it all in until the dough looks crumbly. Or your hands work too! At this stage, you can't really damage the flakiness too much.
No matter what you do, the dough should end up like this:
Lastly, you drizzle in some cold water. With this recipe it doesn't have to be perfectly chilled and out of the fridge; just make your tap run cold. The amount of water will vary depending on the day, but you just want enough to hold the dough together.
This is how it will look. Don't stir it too much! This is the stage where too much stirring makes it tough. Just toss it around with a fork until it starts to hold together. It will still be a little crumbly, but if you press it together, it should mostly hold a shape.
Divide it into equal portions. I doubled the recipe, so I got 4 crusts, which is good for two double-crusted pies (one pictured above) or four single-crusted pies.
This crust is forgiving enough that you can roll it out on a lightly floured surface. I didn't picture this (sorry) but you'll want to lightly flour, form the dough into a nice ball, then press flat into a disk before beginning to roll so it starts out pretty circular. Then don't stress about perfection; just let it be what it is. Part of the beauty of pies is what a rustic kind of dessert they are!
Another word about rolling out. Resist the urge to re-do anything. Once you start rolling, you're creating gluten, and you'll make it tough and chewy if you do it too much. Just gently form that disk and roll it out--then leave it alone! Roll it out just larger than the top of your pie plate.
The easiest way I've found to put the crust in the dish is to fold it in quarters like so. You'll have to be gentle so it doesn't tear too much, but if it gets a little stuck or you rip a hole don't fret. When you press it into the pie plate all of your problems will be solved.
\\
Pick up the quarter-folded dough and place the folded corner in the center of the pie plate.
Unfold to half-folded...
...then all the way open. Don't worry about wrinkles and imperfections!
Just gently use your fingers to press into the corners of the pie plate and repair those tears. You can even tear off excess from the top and put it in a hole if you have one.
If you're doing a single-crusted pie, you'll finish off the edges now. This one I made very rough and rustic, for a simple pudding pie.
The finished result looks like this after it's baked. (at 400, for about 6-8 minutes) This kind of prebaked, single-crusted pie is great for pudding, custard, ice cream and other no-bake pies. Alternatively, you can leave it unbaked and fill it with fillings like pecan, derby, or molasses pies. And quiche! Also, you can do the typical fruit pies in an unbaked single-crust and top them with streusel! Lots of fun with a single-crusted pie.
If you want it to be a little prettier, (and with a double crust) finish it off by topping the pie with another disk rolled out into a circle, again folding in quarters and bringing carefully to the pie. Obviously now the crust is on top of your filling! To make it just gorgeous, trim the edges of the crust by running a knife around the edges of the pie plate.
Then flute the edges. You just pinch the edge of the dough with one hand...
...and use the other hand to hold your previous artwork in place. The thumb on this second hand is actually the most important tool. Sorry, one-handed photography.
Once you've fluted around the whole pie, (you can also just press around the edges with a fork, or do lots of other prettier things if you know how) cut air vents. The slits aren't just for looks--it's to let the steam out so you don't get big ugly bubbles.
At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for a day or two, or put in the freezer for a couple months! If you're going to freeze it, don't forget to wrap it in foil so it doesn't get freezer burn. If you choose to do one of these options, you can place the cold pie right in a preheated oven. Super easy and awesome.
Otherwise, just bake the pie at 400 for 30 to 45 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and filling is cooked. If your filling needs a lot of baking time, you can cover the edges of the pie with foil so they don't burn.
Simple Pie Crust
2 cups flour (can use whole wheat)
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
2 to 4 T cold water
Combine dry ingredients in medium mixing bowl. Cut in shortening. Sprinkle in water and mix gently until dough just holds together--adding more or less water to achieve desired consistency. Divide into two crusts and roll out on lightly floured surface. Use for one double-crusted or two single-crusted pies. If you need a pre-baked single-crust, bake at 400 for 6-8 minutes. Otherwise, bake finished pie at 400 for 30 to 45 minutes, or until edges are golden and filling is finished cooking.
No comments:
Post a Comment