My wife’s grandmother always makes pie crust with lard, and my mom used to make it with a combination of vegetable shortening and butter, but I prefer just a plain all butter crust. As long as you don’t handle it too much, it comes out pretty much perfect every time.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups white flour
- 1/2 t salt
- 275 g unsalted butter, well chilled and cut into 1.5-2 cm chunks
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup ice water, added by tablespoon
Pulse the flour and salt a few times in a food processor until mixed. Add the butter and pulse a few more times until the mixture forms pea sized pieces. Add water a tablespoon at a time while pulsing the food processor, until the mixture starts to come together. Dump the mixture out onto a board or countertop and pull together into a ball. You can sprinkle a bit more water onto any crumbly bits if necessary. Cut the ball in half and pat out into a 1 inch thick round. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
To roll out, place one chilled round on a floured surface, or better yet, some waxed paper or baking parchment. Dust with flour, and roll out turning and flipping every few passes, and dusting with more flour if it starts to stick, until your circle is large enough to fill your pie plate. Transfer carefully to the pie plate, add your filling, roll out the top crust, and cover. Trim the overhang around the edge of the pie plate, crimp the crust, and cut steam vents in the top. Bake. Eat. Have another slice.
For filling, I’m partial to apple or peach. For an apple pie, core, peel and slice 4-6 apples, depending on size, toss with a couple tablespoons of corn starch, 1/2 cup of sugar, and a couple tablespoons of cinnamon. Maybe add the juice of half a lemon if the apples are really sweet. For peach, blanch and peel 4-6 peaches, halve to remove the pit, then slice. Add a bit of sugar if you need it, and 2-4 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch, depending on how ripe and juicy the peaches are. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 for another 30-45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
This recipe makes enough dough for one double crust pie – halve for single crust recipes, or freeze half for later.
If you need to pre-bake (for single crust pies), prick the crust all over with a fork, cover it with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans, rice, coins, or pie weights. Bake at 185 c/375 f for 15 minutes. Remove weights and foil, and bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown.
