French Pie Pastry Recipes

FRENCH PASTRY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Mix well, then cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• In a small bowl, combine egg, vinegar, and 4 tablespoons of water. Whisk together, then add gradually to flour mixture, stirring with a fork. Mix until dough forms a ball. Add one more tablespoon of water if necessary.
• Allow dough to rest in refrigerator 10 minutes before rolling out.

FRENCH PASTRY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Sift the flour, salt, and sugar together into a large bowl and stir together.
• Cut the shortening into the flour until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
• Whisk the egg, vinegar, and 4 tablespoons of the water together in a separate bowl.
• Gradually add the egg mixture to the flour, stirring them together with a fork. Continue to combine until the dough forms a ball (you can add an additional tablespoon of water if necessary).
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave to chill in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes before rolling out.
• Once chilled, use the dough as required for your recipe (White Potato Pie).

FRENCH PASTRY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar.
• Mix well, then cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• In a small bowl, combine egg, vinegar, and 4 tablespoons of water.
• Whisk together, then add gradually to flour mixture, stirring with a fork.
• Mix until dough forms a ball.
• Add one more tablespoon of water if necessary.
• Allow dough to rest in refrigerator 10 minutes before rolling out.

FRENCH PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Place flour and salt in food processor and pulse a couple times.
• Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add water 1 T at a time through top feeder and pulse briefly until dough begins to form a ball.
• Remove from processor and place on floured surface.
• Form into a ball.
• Allow dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling out.
• On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to fit pie pan.
• Place in pan, flute edges and prick bottom of dough several times with a fork.
• Place in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Bake pie shell for 15 to 20 minutes or til light brown.

FRENCH PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• To prepare the dough, combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the butter. Process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. Add the egg yolks and pulse to combine.
• With the processor on pulse, add the ice water a tablespoon at a time. Pulse until the mixture holds together as a soft, but not crumbly or sticky, dough. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm and evenly moist, about 30 minutes.
• To prepare the dough, lightly flour a clean work surface and rolling pin. Place the dough disk in the center of the floured surface. Roll out the dough, starting in the center and rolling up to, but not over, the top edge of the dough. Return to the center, and roll down to, but not over, the bottom edge. Give the dough a quarter turn, and continue rolling, repeating the quarter turns until you have a disk about 1/8 inch thick.
• Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, unrolling over the tin. With one hand lift the pastry and with the other gently tuck it into the pan, being careful not to stretch or pull the dough. Let the pastry settle into the bottom of the pan. Take a small piece of dough and shape it into a ball. Press the ball of dough around the bottom edges of the tart pan, snugly shaping the pastry to the pan without tearing it. Remove any excess pastry by rolling the pin across the top of the pan.
• Prick the bottom of the pastry all over with the tines of a fork to help prevent shrinkage during baking. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• To blind bake, preheat the oven to 425°F. Crumple a piece of parchment paper, then lay it out flat over the bottom of the pastry. Weight the paper with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice. This will keep the unfilled pie crust from puffing up in the oven.
• For a partially baked shell that will be filled and baked further, bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the paper and weights. (You can reuse the rice or beans for blind-baking a number of times.) The shell can now be filled and baked further, according to the recipe directions. For a fully baked shell that will hold an uncooked filling, bake the empty shell until a deep golden brown, about 30 minutes total.

PATE BRISEE (PIE DOUGH)

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
• With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

FRENCH PASTRY PIE CRUST RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• For the crust (food processor method): Add all the ingredients, except for the water, into a food mixer with the blade attachment. Pulse until the ingredients resemble coarse crumbs. Slowly add the water, through the tube attachment, and mix until it is just combined. Dump onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, and gently form into a large ball; divide in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and then shape into a disc. Chill for at least an hour, or overnight. Without a food processor: Combine all the dry ingredients, then cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter. In a small bowl, combine the egg, vinegar and 4 Tablespoons of water, Whisk together, then add gradually to flour mixture, stirring with a fork. Mix until the dough forms a ball, and add one ore tablespoon of water, if necessary. When ready to roll, remove from the refrigerator. Lightly dust a piece of parchment paper with flour. Rolling from the middle to OUT. Turn the dough, 1/4 turns, often. The dough softens very quickly, so it will most likely tear. Just grab a section from an edge and patch it in. I found the dough too pliable to roll onto my rolling pin, so I lifted up the pie crust with the parchment paper and flipped it into my pan pan-- that worked! TIPS: I like to brush an egg wash over the crust, and sprinkle with coarse sugar for a beautiful golden brown color and some texture.

FAVORITE FRENCH CANADIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the pork, beef, veal, potatoes and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the garlic, seasonings and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently., Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. Stir in bread crumbs. Combine egg and remaining water; stir into meat mixture. , Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Fill with meat mixture. Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top. Cover edges loosely with foil., Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil. Reduce heat to 375°; bake 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

PASTRY FOR A FRENCH TART

Steps:

• This is much more easily done in a food processor than by hand, but either method is acceptable. If the processor is used, put the flour into the container of the processor. Cut in the butter and add the sugar.
• Start processing while adding the water a little at a time. Add only enough water so that the dough can be held together and shaped into a ball.
• Or put the flour into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces on top and sprinkle with sugar. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour. Remove the pastry cutter. Using the hands, start working the mixture while adding the water a teaspoon or so at a time. Add only enough water while working the dough until the dough can be gathered into a ball. Shape the dough into a ball.
• Flatten the dough into a round patty about one and a half inches thick. Wrap closely in foil or wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

FRENCH MEAT PIE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, pork and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. , In a small bowl, combine potatoes and seasonings. Roll out half of pastry to fit a 9-in. pie plate; trim pastry even with edge of plate. Fill with meat mixture. , Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in pastry. Brush with egg if desired. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Rub the lard and butter into the flour with a generous pinch of sea salt until completely combined. Add the beaten egg and 100ml ice-cold water and mix until you have a soft dough. Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 1 hr, or until needed.
• Divide the pastry into 12 equal pieces and roll out into rounds on a lightly floured surface. Use six of the rounds to line the bottoms of six individual pie dishes, leaving an overhang. Fill the pies with the mixture of your choice, brush the rims with some of the egg yolk, top with the remaining pastry rounds, then trim and crimp the edges. Decorate with the trimmings, if you like. Glaze with more egg yolk, or as indicated in the filling recipe, and chill until you're ready to cook.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6 with a baking tray inside. Put the pies on the hot tray and bake for 30-35 mins until golden. Leave to rest as directed, then serve in the dishes or turn out onto plates.