Kitchenaid Pie Pastry 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.

NEVER, NEVER FAIL PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together water, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Stir into flour mixture and knead dough briefly, just until smooth. Allow to rest 15 minutes before rolling out. Pastry is easier to work with when chilled. Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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.

PASTRY CRUST (PIE CRUST)

Steps:

• Add flour and salt to food processor work bowl fitted with multi-purpose blade. Pulse for 2 seconds to blend.
• Add shortening and butter. Pulse 3-4 times, about 2-3 seconds each time, until mixture is crumbly.
• Sprinkle 5 tablespoons ice-cold water over mixture and pulse 1-3 times, about 2-3 seconds each time, until mixture pulls away from sides of work bowl and starts to form a loose ball. If necessary you can add up to 1-2 more tablespoons of water a bit at a time, but don't let it get too wet.
• Remove from bowl and form into 2 balls.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a circle.
• Use crusts as directed in your recipe, for one double-crust pie, or two single-crust pies.

OUR FAVORITE PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and sugar several times to combine. Add butter. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces remaining.
• Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if needed, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overprocess.
• Turn dough out onto a work surface; form dough into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Before baking, unwrap dough; place on a large piece of floured waxed paper. Roll dough to a 14-inch round. Using paper, lift and wrap dough around rolling pin (discarding paper); carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate.
• Trim overhang to 1 inch; fold overhang under itself. Pinch between thumb and forefinger to make a uniform edge around the rim. Crimp edge; refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

ELECTRIC MIXER SWEET BUTTER PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Dump the flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl, if mixing the dough by hand). Mix for a second or two to blend the dry ingredients. Add the butter and then, running the mixer on low (or by hand with two knives or a pastry cutter), work the mixture until it's crumbly and the largest pieces of butter are no bigger than a pea (about 1/4 inch).
• As the mixer turns on low sprinkle in cold water a tablespoon at a time. Try to sprinkle it evenly over the flour and butter. Continue mixing the dough as you slowly add water. The secret is to add just enough water until it just pulls together as a shaggy mass. If you add too much water it will cause the pastry to shrink into the pie pan and it won't look very pretty.
• To roll out the dough for a double-crust pie -- Cut the dough in half and pat each piece into a thick flattened ball (see Shape and roll the dough). Lightly flour your work surface and tap one of the dough balls down with four or five taps of the rolling pan. Begin rolling from the center of your dough outward. Stop the pressure 1/4 inch from the edge of the dough. Lift the dough and turn by a quarter and repeat the rolling until the dough is at least 12 inches in diameter. Be sure to re-flour the work surface if your dough is sticking.
• Using a pot lid or a circle of cardboard as a template, trim the dough to form a 12-inch round (this should give you a 11/2-inch margin all around your 9-inch pie pan). Fold the dough in half, slide the outspread fingers of both hands under the dough, and gently lift it and transfer it to the pie pan. Unfold and ease the dough round into the bottom of the pie pan without stretching it.
• Roll out the other dough ball and cut a second 12-inch round to be used as the top crust.
• The next secret is to freeze the completed shell completely before baking. This step also helps to minimize that shrinking pie shell effect.
• Bake as directed for your pie recipe if using for a two crust pie.
• If baking a pie shell for a premade pie filling:.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F When the pie crust is sufficiently chilled, line the pie crust with parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil. Fill at least two-thirds full with pie weights - dry beans, rice, or stainless-steel pie weights.
• Bake with weights for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cool a few minutes and carefully remove pie weights. Poke small holes in the bottom of the pie crust with a fork and return to oven (without the weights) and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until the crust is golden.
• Cool completely before filling. You may need to tent the edges of the pie with aluminum foil when you bake your pie, to keep the edges from getting too dried out and burnt.