Pie Crust

I love pie. I could eat pie everyday. Sweet. Savory. Dessert. Dinner. It doesn't matter, I'll eat it! A key to good pie is the crust. I've tried probably 30+ recipes over the years using shortening, butter, fat or a combination of them. This recipe is the easiest and tastiest I've come across, it's a combination of my favorite recipes.

 

First, have all of your ingredients chilled. Flour too! In a bowl combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add in the cubed butter.

 

Using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour fixture mixture.

 

Continue until the butter is about the size of peas. Drizzle in the ice water, tossing with a fork. 

 

The mixture should be shaggy and loose but will hold together if you pinch some of it together.

 

Dump the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a ball. Don't actually knead the pastry as you do not want to over handle the dough. This warms the butter and makes your pastry less flaky.

 

 

Divide the dough into two equal parts. Form into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

 

The dough will roll well and stick together yet still come out flaky and tasty. Best recipe yet!

All-Butter Pie Pastry

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 T. sugar
3/4 t. sea salt
1 c. cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 c. iced water

Directions:

Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Refrigerate for 10 minutes until chilled.

Cut in the cold butter until the butter is about the size of peas.

Stir in the iced water, 1/4 cup at a time, tossing with a fork to distribute the water.

Turn the pastry dough onto n a lightly floured work surface. Press together into a cohesive ball. Do not handle more than necessary to avoid overdeveloping the dough. Divide the pastry into 2 equal parts. Shape into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for one hour before rolling.