First, mix the flour and salt together and add the shortening. See that fork? That will be your BFF for the rest of the recipe. In fact, you should have used it to mix up the flour. (A note about shortening. Most cookbooks now say to use butter or Crisco. I perfer to use lard. Please...use the lard too.)
Start "cutting" in the flour with the fork. "Cutting" really is just mashing the shortening/lard into the flour and the side of the bowl.
This is what "shortening the size of peas" looks like. I'm so sorry that our ancestral grandmothers couldn't come up with a description a bit more...well...descriptive.
Add the ice water. Now here is the tricky part because the recipe says "3-4 tbsps." I always start out at 3 tbsps. and work my way up. The recipe says that because the humidity level in your kitchen will directly effect how much water you put in.
Here is the dough at 3 tbsps. The AC was on today so I already knew it was dry in the house. Even if you know that it is dry in your house, always, always, always use the least amount of liquid first. You can always add more, but you can't take any out.
Here is 4 tbsps. This is what the dough should look like. It should be just enough water to hold the flour together. I know that is a little vague, but once you get it...you should always get it.
Shape the dough into a disk.
Wrap it up in saran wrap and refrigerate for half an hour.
Un-wrap and flatten out a bit with your hand.
Then start rolling from the center out.
Give the dough a quarter turn thus ensuring that it doesn't stick and that the dough stays in somewhat circular shape.
Roll it out to an eighth of an inch thick and fold it in half.
Fold in half again and place in the pan.
Situate the dough in the pan, trim and flute according to taste. Put the dough in the fridge and make your filling. Bake as directed. Hope that helped. Sorry if it didn't. Let me know if there is anything else that is scary in the cooking world that you would like to know how to do and I will do my best to show you. I will put the recipe up later today.
7 comments:
Pioneer woman, CC, and now the boy. Woo hoo, I am in heaven. Another cooking tutorial blog. I love it!
You make it look easy, I would have pie crust everywhere but, in the pan.
Thanks for the tutorial!
Dean, I didn't know until yesterday that you had another blog. I'm glad, I have always enjoyed your blog.
I also use the same recipe, but I have to admit that I use butter and cut it in with my fingers. Personally for me, my fingers work better than a fork because I can feel when it is right.
I did not realize, however, that you were suppose to refridgerate the crust after it is in the pie plate. But it really makes sense.
Is your crust flaky when baked?
What do you use to keep the crust from being burned or over brown during baking of pie? That is something that I struggle with when I bake pies, usually w/store bought crust.
Elaine in Alaska
About half way through baking, look at the pie crust and if it is too brown...then you can use what is called a pie shield ( http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/detail.jsp?id=8392 )
or you can make an O out of aluminum foil and tent it over the edge of the crust to prevent over-browning
His crust is always flaky.
You can always put foil over the pie crust or use one of those "pie ring" thingies to keep the edges from getting to brown.
My new favorite pie crust recipe uses butter too. It gives it a richer flavor. I also like it because it is made in the food processor and there is no mixing involved for me. :)
That's easy for you. It seems to come second nature. I do love a good pie crust for my pies.
How about I just come eat your pie and forget ever trying to make it myself? :)
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