Pie Crust

July 31, 2021

• 14 Tbls (196 grams) cold butter
• ½ teas (3 grams) salt
• 2 ½ cups (363 grams) flour
• 1 Tbls corn starch
• ½ cup (118 grams) ice cold water
• 1 Tbls vinegar or vodka – optional

Chill butter.

Sift flour, corn starch and salt together thoroughly. Don’t skip the salt – pie crust with no salt is bland.

Add ice cubes to ½ cup water and vinegar or vodka.

Combine butter with flour/corn starch/salt and cut into pea size pieces with a pastry cutter or food processor. Add ice water a little at a time just until the mixture comes together into a dough. Do not over mix as it makes the crust tough. Divide dough in half forming two disks, wrap each in cling film and refrigerate.

Roll out dough between 2 pieces of lightly floured cling film to 2-3 inches more than the diameter of your pie plate. Peel off the top cling film to make sure it isn’t sticking. Put it back, flip the whole thing over and check that the other cling film isn’t sticking. Repeat with the second disk.

Fruit pies with top crust – Place the bottom crust in a pie plate and add desired filling. Set top crust into place and pinch the edges together forming a crimped design. Sprinkle top crust with cinnamon/sugar. Cut vents to let steam escape. Bake at 400° for about an hour.

Custard pies – Place the bottom crust in a pie plate leaving extra crust hanging slightly off the edges – it shrinks as it bakes. You can line with foil or parchment paper and add pie weights or dry beans to avoid excess shrinking. Dock with a fork to avoid big bubbles. Bake at 400° for about 30-40 minutes. Fill with prepared custard such as chocolate or lemon curd and top with sweetened whipped cream or meringue.