georgehirschlifestyle
George’s Favorite Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Makes one pie or two bottom crusts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Mix shortening, flour, and salt together with a
1/2 teaspoon salt
fork or a pastry blender until very crumbly. Add
1 teaspoon sugar
as much water as needed to hold together, and
1 teaspoon baking powder
mix lightly with a fork.
1/2 cup cold milk
Chill the shortening and water before you
Chill the butter and milk before you begin. Chilling
keeps the pie crust flaky and prevents the fat
begin. Chilling keeps the pie crust flaky and
pieces from melting into the flour and becoming
prevents the fat pieces from melting into the
tough.
flour and becoming tough.
Next, mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.
Next, mix the flour and salt. Cut the shortening
Cut the chilled butter into the dry mixture using a
into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter or by
pastry cutter or by pinching the fat into the mixture
pinching the fat into the mixture with your
with your hands. The mixture should have fat hands. The mixture should have fat lumps no
lumps no larger than the size of raisins. If making
larger than the size of raisins. If making pie
pie crust in the summer time cool off the flour by
crust in the summer time cool off the flour by
measuring your flour and refrigerate one hour
measuring your flour and refrigerate one hour
before making dough.
before making dough.
Pour in the chilled liquid just until the milk is
Pour in the chilled liquid just until the water is
absorbed, mixing gently with a fork. You should be
able to gently press the dough into a ball. Mix the
absorbed, mixing gently with a fork. You should
dough as little as possible: you don't want to
be able to gently press the dough into a ball.
cream the lumps of butter into the flour. A crust
without lumps of butter will be dense, not flaky.
Mix the dough as little as possible: you don't
Note that humidity will effect how much liquid the
want to cream the lumps of shortening into the
flour will absorb.
flour. A crust without lumps of shortening will
be dense, not flaky. Note that humidity will
Split the dough into two equal parts. Pat them into effect how much liquid the flour will absorb.
balls, flattening them slightly, and wrap them in
plastic wrap. The dough needs to rest in the
Split the dough into two equal parts. Pat them
refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is
into balls, flattening them slightly, and wrap
preferred. Chilling lets the flour absorb all of the
them in plastic wrap. The dough needs to rest
liquid, lets the dough relax and become more
in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
elastic, and keeps the fat in separate pieces which
will give the crust a lighter texture when it is baked.
Overnight is preferred. Chilling lets the flour
Traditional Pie Crust
absorb all of the liquid, lets the dough relax
Makes one pie or two bottom crusts
and become more elastic, and keeps the fat in
separate pieces which will give the crust a
1/2 cup shortening
lighter texture when it is baked.
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