Featherlight Pie Crust Double Crust Recipes

CLASSIC LARD TWO-CRUST PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the lard with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, blending gently with a fork or pastry blender until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans the sides of the bowl. Divide the dough in half and shape flattened rounds. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

DOUBLE-CRUST PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Place flour and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some blueberry-size clumps.
• Beat together egg, ice water, and vinegar in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture and pulse just until incorporated, about 10 times more. Squeeze a small amount of dough to make sure it holds together. If dough is too dry, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap, forming each into 1 disk. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.

ALL-BUTTER DOUBLE PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Use a bench scraper to cut butter into ½-inch cubes. (If butter begins to "sweat," dust with flour.) In a large, flat-bottomed bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter cubes and toss to coat with the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour; do not smash or smear the butter. Scrape butter off the pastry blender during the mixing process and continue mixing. (If butter is softening too fast, put the bowl in the refrigerator until butter firms up, 2-5 minutes.) Continue cutting, working quickly, until butter is broken down and looks like a coarse crumble with only a few larger pieces.
• Combine vinegar with water and ice; you'll use 10-12 tablespoons of this liquid in the pie dough. Begin by sprinkling 4 tablespoons of liquid over the flour mixture; use a bench scraper or your hands to incorporate until the mixture begins to come together. Sprinkle in 4 more tablespoons of liquid and continue the mixing process. Squeeze a fistful of dough: if it holds, like wet sand, it's ready. If it falls apart, add 1-2 more tablespoons of liquid at a time, squeezing the dough to check if it holds. Bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of liquid as necessary; dough will look shaggy. Knead in the bowl just until incorporated.
• Turn dough onto a work surface and use a bench scraper to divide dough into two equal pieces. (Note: If you're making the Blueberry Slab Pie, do not divide the dough; shape it into one large, flat disk.) Shape into flat disks and wrap in plastic; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen up to 1 month, tightly wrapped. (Note: If you're making the Peach Skillet Pie, stop here; you'll begin that lesson with two chilled disks of dough.)
• Generously grease pie dish with softened butter. Dust a work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Place one chilled pie disk on the work surface and lightly dust it with flour. (Reserve the other disk to use as a top crust for the Salted Caramel Apple Pie or Peach Skillet Pie, or to line a tart pan for the Farmer Cheese and Thyme Pie.)Roll dough by starting at the center and lightly pressing down with the rolling pin to flatten slightly. Rotate the dough and repeat, pressing down so it's evenly flattened all around, about ⅛-inch thick. Then roll outward to make a circle, rotating the dough a quarter-turn at a time to keep it even. (If dough is softening too fast, chill in the refrigerator until firm, 2-5 minutes.) Roll the dough until it's about 2-3 inches larger than the pie dish, all the way around. Use a pizza wheel to trim away the rough edges. (Save the scraps to make crust cookies!)
• Overturn pie dish onto the center of the dough circle, then remove and place it right side up on your work surface. Use the light indentation created by the rim as a guide for gently positioning dough into the center of the dish. (If dough is softening too fast, put it back into the refrigerator until it firms up, 2-5 minutes.) Fit dough gently into dish, being careful not to stretch it. Begin crimping the edge by using your fingers to roll the dough firmly so it rests on top of the rim. Crimp by using your index finger and thumb on one hand to squeeze a letter "C" into the dough rim. (Lightly flour your fingers if the dough is sticking.) Repeat, crimping the entire pie and making sure the final fluted crust sits directly on top of the pan's rim. Chill until it is ready to be filled and baked.

PASTRY FOR DOUBLE PIE-CRUST

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half so one ball is slightly larger than the other., Roll out the larger ball to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry with even with edge of plate. Pour desired filling into crust. , Roll out second ball; cut slits in pastry. Position over filling. Trim pastry to 1 in. beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top crust over bottom crust. Flute edges. Bake according to recipe directions.

PERFECT PIE CRUST FOR DOUBLE CRUST PIE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender or fork until shortening is in pea-sized pieces (I usually use my hand crank chopper to do this).
• Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with fork in between, until all of the flour mixture is moistened and can be formed into a ball. Divide mixture in half.
• At this point, you can roll dough into a 12 inch circle on a lightly floured surface, but I prefer to tape a 12 inch square piece of waxed paper to my work surface with double sided tape, put my dough on that, then cover with another piece of waxed paper, and roll out.
• When dough is in a circle as big as your waxed paper (ie 12 inch circle), peel off the top layer of waxed paper and discard.
• Lift the dough and bottom layer of waxed paper up and invert onto your pie pan. Gently peel the waxed paper off.
• Do the same with the other 1/2 of your dough to make your top crust.
• Before placing pie in the oven, wrap a 3 inch wide strip of foil around the edge of your crust, allowing 2 inches to fold over the top of your pie. 1/2 way through your bake time, carefully pull the foil off and finish baking. Your crust will turn out perfect every time!

PIE CRUST FOR DOUBLE CRUST

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt together in a bowl. Add the shortening and mix it into the flour and salt with a fork or your fingertips until the mixture has the texture of course crumbs. Mix in the water, little at a time. Refrigerate to chill before rolling out the dough.

SIMPLE DOUBLE PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Sift flour before measuring; spoon lightly into measuring cup and level without shaking or packing down.
• Combine flour and salt.
• With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in vegetable shortening until uniform; mixture should be fairly coarse.
• Sprinkle with water, a tablespoon at a time; toss with a fork.
• Work dough into a firm ball with your hands; divide dough into two parts and press into flat circles with smooth edges.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll bottom crust to a circle about 1 1/2" larger than inverted pie plate.
• Gently ease dough into pie plate; trim edge even with plate and add filling.
• Moisten rim of bottom crust with water.
• Roll top crust the same way and lift onto filled pie; trim 1/2" beyond the edge of pie plate.
• Fold top edge under bottom crust and flute with fingers or fork.
• Prick or slit top crust to allow for escape of steam; bake according to time and temperature recommended for filling used.

HOW TO MAKE A PIE CRUST

Steps:

• You'll need a 9-inch pie pan, a rolling pin and pie weights (or use dried beans).Your butter must be cold; even frozen butter works as long as you cut it into cubes before freezing.Be sure to factor in at least one hour to let your dough chill before rolling it out.
• Some bakers use lard in their pie crust, while others turn to shortening. But in general, butter is your best bet: it's easy to find, it has fantastic flavor, and it yields a tender, flaky crust. This is an all-butter crust recipe that will empower even the most nervous pie makers, a simple dough of butter and all-purpose flour that is easy to make and dependable as can be. If you plan to make a pie with a top crust, double the recipe; when it's time to chill the dough, divide it in half and shape into two disks to put in the fridge. The dough will also keep for 3 months in the freezer, if you want to stash a few disks there. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
• Lightly dust flour onto a clean counter and onto a rolling pin. (Alternatively, you can roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap; no flour required.) Put the dough on the floured surface and, using the pin, roll away from you, applying pressure evenly. Rotate the dough clockwise as you work so it's uniformly thin and isn't rolled irretrievably into the counter. Lightly dust the counter with flour as you work. But don't overdo it with the flour. Too much flour all at once makes a tough crust. Continue to roll the dough in all directions until you have a 12-inch circle. (If your rolled dough doesn't end up in a neat circle, you can trim it, and use the trimmings to patch up any rips, holes or bald spots.) Transfer crust to a 9-inch pie pan by gently rolling it up onto the pin, then carefully unfurling it into the pan. Fold over any excess dough. If you're not making a top crust, then the crimp edges now. Prick crust all over with a fork, then chill crust for 30 minutes. Your crust is now ready to fill or blind bake.
• Blind baking is partially baking a pie crust before you add the filling, which helps keep the crust crunchy. After filling it, you return the pie to the oven to finish baking. It's a particularly good method for custard pies, like pumpkin and pecan, that are prone to sogginess. Blind baking can be done up to 24 hours before filling; cover the crust loosely with a dish towel and store it at room temperature.Begin with the chilled, rolled-out dough in the pan. Line the dough with parchment paper or foil. Fill the parchment or foil with pie weights, uncooked rice or dried beans. Transfer to a 425-degree oven. Bake the crust until it firms up, about 15 minutes. It will still be very pale at this point. Remove the parchment or foil and weights, then return crust to the oven to brown slightly. Bake the crust 5 to 7 minutes more, until pale golden brown. Let it cool on a rack before filling.
• Custard pies don't usually have tops, but fruit pies just about always do, and it's something you can play around with. Start with any fruit filling you like, pile it into your pan, and then choose one of the top crusts, or the crumble, below.To make a lattice top, you'll need to double your pie dough if it's not already a recipe for a double crust. Roll out the chilled dough and cut it into 1-inch thick strips. Place half the dough strips parallel to each other across the top of the filled pie. (Reserve some of the longer strips for when you weave the lattice.) The longest strip should be in the center of the pie. Flip up every other strip on the pie. Place another long strip perpendicular to the others across the center of the pie. Flip those strips back down, then flip up the other strips. Weave in a second strip of dough. Repeat process on one side, and then the other, until you have fully covered the pie with woven strips.Gently press lattice strip edges into the bottom crust, then crimp the edges to seal the top and bottom crusts together. Or, if you've blind baked the bottom crust, simply tuck in the edges of the lattice so the strips don't hang over the side of the pan. Brush lattice all over with milk, cream or an egg wash (a mix of egg and water or milk) to encourage browning. You can sprinkle the top with sugar or cinnamon sugar if you like. To cover the top of the whole pie, you'll need to double your pie dough if it's not already a recipe for a double crust. Roll out the chilled dough, then lay it out over the top of the filled pie.Crimp the edges to seal the top and bottom crusts together. Or, if you've blind baked the bottom crust, simply tuck in the edges of the top crust so it doesn't hang over the side of the pan.Slash the top of the pie with a knife to allow steam to escape. Brush top crust all over with milk, cream or an egg wash (a mix of egg and water or milk) to encourage browning. You can sprinkle it with sugar or cinnamon sugar if you like.To make a top using dough cutouts, you'll need to double your pie dough if it's not already a recipe for a double crust. Roll out the chilled dough and use decorative cookie cutters (circles, leaves, etc.) to cut out shapes from the dough.If you haven't blind baked the crust, use a paring knife or scissors to trim any dough that is hanging over the edge of the pan. The dough should be flush with the edge of the pan.Arrange a ring of cutouts around the outer edge of the filled pie (the cutouts should be touching the crust, coming flush to the edge).Continue adding cutouts to fully cover the top of the pie. You can overlap the cutouts (or not) as you see fit.Brush cutouts all over with milk, cream or an egg wash (a mix of egg and water or milk) to encourage browning. You can sprinkle the cutouts with sugar or cinnamon sugar if you like.To make a simple crumble for a standard 9-inch pie, combine 3/4 cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) cinnamon, a large pinch of salt and 5 tablespoons (71 grams) softened butter in a large bowl.Use your hands to mix the ingredients together, pinching the mixture until large crumbs form. The crumbs should be on the larger side, a bit bigger than a lima bean. Do not make small crumbs.Scatter crumbs over the top of the pie. It is nice, but not necessary, to mound more of the crumbs in the center of the pie and fade them out toward the edges so that some of the filling can show.
• Always bake a pie on a rimmed baking sheet to contain any overflow. A baking sheet also makes removing the pie from the oven easier.You can freeze a whole, unbaked fruit pie. Then bake it while still frozen, adding about 15 minutes onto the baking time. Do not thaw it first or you could lose flakiness in the crust.For the best-looking crimped crust, or to avoid having your crust shrink in the oven, freeze the unbaked pie dough before filling and baking (or blind baking). The colder your dough when you get it into the oven, the better it holds its shape.You can store your baked pie at room temperature, covered, for up to one day. After that, the crust will become irretrievably soggy.

FEATHERLIGHT PIE CRUST - DOUBLE CRUST

Steps:

• Mix together flour mix, xanthan gum and salt.Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter or knives until it looks like coarse crumbs, not too fine. Sprinkle ice water over flour mix.Gently mix the flour and water, breaking up large clumps with your fingers. The point is to lightly dampen most of the flour mixture without kneading the dough.Press the dough into a ball. Roll out between sheets of flour dusted plastic wrap. You should be able to see swirls of shortening in the dough as you roll it out. Transfer the crust to a pie plate. Fill and bake according to recipe directions.