Carla Halls Perfect Pie Crust Recipes

CARLA'S CLASSIC PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Dissolve the sugar and salt in 1/3 cup water and chill until cold.
• Pulse the flour and butter in a stand mixer until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-size pieces. Add the water all at once and mix until the dough almost forms a ball. Divide the dough in half and flatten into two disks.
• Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.

CARLA'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• 1. PREPARE THE PIE CRUST. Combine the water, salt and sugar in a liquid measuring cup. Chill in fridge for at least 15 minutes or until salt and sugar are dissolved and water is "ice" cold. 2. In the meantime, place the flour in the bowl of a standing mixer. Toss the cold butter pieces in the flour to coat each piece. Place the bowl in the fridge, with the paddle attachment, until chilled - about 30 minutes. Chilling all the components insures that the butter will stay cold while being mixed, therefore making the crust flaky. 3. With the mixer on low, mix the flour and butter until the butter is broken down into the size of chickpeas. With the mixer still running, pour the water mixture in at once. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix until the dough comes together. (The mixture should have visible chunks of butter.) 4. Divide the dough into 10 even parts, form into discs and wrap each separately. Let the crust rest in the fridge while preparing the filling.