How To Make Flaky Pie Dough Like Julia Child Recipes

HOW TO MAKE FLAKY PIE DOUGH LIKE JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• In A Stand Mixer (using paddle attachment)
• Mix the flour and salt in the bowl
• Add the chilled butter and mix on low until mixture looks coarse and crumbly
• Add shortening in small bits and continue to mix on low
• When shortening is mixed in and texture is clumpy and starts to stick together, gradually add the ice water
• Mix only until water is just incorporated
• Use a small spatula to scrape off from the paddle attachment, flatten dough, and cut into quarters
• One quarter of this recipe is enough flaky pie dough for one 9"-10" pie crust or shell
• Place each piece in a separate zip lock bag, flatten, and chill before use or freeze for later
• By Hand
• Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl
• Add the butter using a pastry blender (or your fingers)
• Cut in chilled shortening until mixture forms clumps
• Use a wooden spoon to mix in ice water
• In A Food Processor
• Start with very cold ingredients and be careful not to overwork them
• Place flour and salt in food processor fitted with metal blade and pulse to mix
• Remove lid and scatter chilled butter and shortening over dry ingredients
• Cover and pulse just until fats are cut in
• Add ice water in little bits, pulsing a few times after each addition until water is incorporated
• (Don't process until the dough forms a ball that rides on the blade--that's overdoing it)

FLAKY PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• To mix the dough by hand, combine flour, salt and baking powder in a medium sized mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Cut butter into 1tablespoon pieces and add to dry ingredients. Toss once or twice to coat pieces of butter. Then using your hands or a pastry blender, break the butter into tiny pieces and pinch and squeeze it into the dry ingredients. Keep the mixture uniform by occasionally reaching down to the bottom of the bowl and mixing all the ingredients evenly together. Continue rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarseground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible.
• Sprinkle the minimum amount of water over the butter and flour mixture and stir gently with a fork the dough should begin holding together. If the mixture still appears dry and crumbly, add the remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time for the smaller quantity of dough, a tablespoon at a time for the larger quantity, until the dough holds together easily.
• To mix the dough in the food processor, combine flour, salt and baking powder in work bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse 3 times at 1second intervals to mix. Cut butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and add to work bowl. Process, pulsing repeatedly at 1second intervals, until the mixture is fine and powdery, resembles a coarseground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible about 15 pulses in all.
• Scatter the minimum amount of water on the butter and flour mixture and pulse 5 or 6 times the dough should begin holding together. If the mixture still appears dry and crumbly, add the remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time for the smaller quantity of dough,one tablespoon at a time for the larger quantity, until the dough holds together easily.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a disk (two equal disks for the larger amount of dough). Sandwich the disk(s) of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6inch circle. Refrigerate the dough until firm, or until you are ready to use it, at least 1 hour.