Tuesday, September 23, 2008 6:11 PM
Basic pie crust recipe?
Making a solid, homemade pie crust is like changing a tire. You may not do it very often, but when you do—oh, how much do you kick ass? Sure, I have frozen pie crusts in the freezer at the ready, but when I’m lousy with fall apples from the farmer’s market or I feel like cracking into the short, chubby pecans my Aunt Laurie sends me from Louisiana, no stinkin’ store-bought crust is gonna touch those ingredients.
My pies usually taste alright, but they're never much to look at. These fall leaf piecrust cutters (pictured) from Williams-Sonoma make the most blogtastic, picture-perfect ornaments for a pie.
Basic Crust
Makes 1 9-inch crust
The standard formula for a pie crust is one part fat to three parts flour, plus a pinch of salt for flavor and a sprinkle of liquid to help the protein in flour form glutens. Butter can make a perfectly lovely pie crust, but if you have access to fresh lard (ask the butcher in a specialty food store, or anyone selling pork at a farmer’s market), a mix of the two makes an ethereal crust. Shortening works, too. The sour cream? It acts as a fat, liquid and acid in this recipe, which makes for a more tender and flaky crust.
I like the food processor because it’s easier, but for a truly flaky crust, it’s better to roll over the cold flour and butter mixture several times with a rolling pin. (After rolling, scrape the mixture into a pile, then re-roll it, repeating about 5 or 6 times. If the butter starts to melt, freeze the dough for about 5 minutes.)
1 cup bleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Wondra or other “instant” flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons lard
1/4 cup sour cream
Pulse the flour and salt 2 to 3 times in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Remove the bowl and add the butter pieces and lard. Shake and swirl the bowl to coat the butter with flour. Place the bowl in the freezer for 8 to 10 minutes.
Pulse the mixture 10 times in the food processor, or until the texture is mealy. Dump the mixture into a medium bowl and gently fold in the sour cream. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of ice-cold water or milk if needed.
Shape into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out.
Beyond this basic ratio, there are ways to tweak the ingredients to produce a more tender crust, or a flakier crust.
Tender:
* Use low-protein flour, like White Lily or pastry flour
* Incorporate an acidic ingredient, like sour cream or orange juice
* Skip the water and use sour cream or cream cheese
* Add a smidge of oil with the water
Flaky:
* Use lard or shortening
* Freeze the ingredients before blending