Flaky Pastry Crust (Single)
Ready In: 20 mins
Yields: 1 pie crust
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄4 cups flour
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 cup shortening, cold
- 3 tablespoons ice water
Directions
- Shortening may be: All lard: Most tender and flaky crust All vegetable shortening: Next most tender and flaky Combination of butter and veg.
- or lard: Somewhat tender and flaky, with buttery aroma and taste All butter Least tender and flaky; rich, buttery flavor and aroma If using lard, use 1 tablespoon less lard for every 1/3 cup of shortening in the recipe.
- Sift flour and salt together; place in a medium bowl.
- Divide the shortening in half.
- Cut half of shortening into the flour with fingertips, a pastry blender, two knives, or the paddle attachment of an electric mixer until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Then cut in the remaining shortening until the mixture resembles small peas.
- Sprinkle ice water over the mixture; toss with a fork to moisten dough evenly.
- Use as few strokes as possible and the minimum amount of water needed.
- Gently press dough into a ball.
- Flatten ball slightly with a few strokes with the side of your hand.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to two or three days.
- May be frozen for one month.
- To roll the dough out: Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to soften slightly before rolling.
- Place dough on a lightly floured surface.
- Sprinkle a little flour on top of dough or rub some flour on the rolling pin.
- Roll dough from the center towards the edges, easing pressure on the rolling pin near the edge of the dough, to form a circle of dough 1/8 inch thick, large enough to extend two inches beyond the rim of the pie plate.
- Lift dough and give a quarter turn after each rolling, re-flouring surfaces as necessary to prevent sticking and tearing.
- Cupping hands slightly, reshape dough into a circle.
- If dough cracks or tears, brush the tear with watre and apply a thin piece of dough to patch it.
- It is better to patch dough the to reroll, because rolling will toughen it.
- To transfer dough into the plate, place rolling pin just to one side of the center of the dough.
- Lightly drape half of the dough over the rolling pin, rest dough across pie plate and unfold dough onto plate.
- Fit dough into plate with fingertips or a small ball of dough.
- Trim edge so that it extents 1/2 inch to 1 inch beyond the edge of the pie plate.
- Fold edges of dough under.
- Finish edges.
- Blind-bake or fill and bake.
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