Since writing my blueberry pie blog the other day, I’ve gotten innumerable (read: two) requests for my crust recipe.
I’m flattered. But I need to tell you that this is the classic piecrust recipe from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook (with very tiny modifications). It got me over my fear of making piecrust. It’s easy, and fairly quick, and very reliable, and everyone seems to like it (I haven’t gotten any complaints yet). As with any piecrust recipe, you will end up covered with flour. I was wearing sweatpants while making my most recent batch, and wore the same sweatpants to the health club the next night, and realized belatedly that I looked like I’d been sprayed with ranch dressing. Or something.
Herewith the recipe:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour.
- 1 teaspoon salt.
- 1 teaspoon sugar (if you’re making a fruit pie; omit for a quiche / chicken pot pie crust).
- Approximately ¾ cup vegetable shortening, or other fat (some use half butter, half shortening; I get better results with shortening. I know it’s a trans-fat. So what? How often do you make a pie?).
- Very cold water (as in refrigerated; we use a Brita pitcher, so there’s never any problem finding good ice-cold water).
Measure the flour, salt, and sugar into a large bowl, and stir together lightly to mix. Add the shortening and methodically work it into the flour/salt/sugar mixture with a fork or pastry blender. (I prefer a fork.) You want a sort of grainy / pebbly look when you’re completed this step: no big chunks of shortening left, and the flour should have darkened very slightly.
Stir in a few tablespoons of very cold water. (Don’t stir too hard – just try to blend them in.) Then a few more. Then a few more. You’ll see the flour/shortening mixture turn gradually to piecrust consistency. If you overshoot the mark and add too much water, try adding a little more flour to even out the batch.
When you have a satisfactorily doughy mass in your bowl, turn it out onto your (floured) rolling surface. (Partner’s sister gave me a big wooden plank, which works very nicely.) Work it with your hands a bit to make sure it’s thoroughly mixed, but not too much; if you work it too heavily, it’ll turn tough.
When it’s nice and uniform, split it into two equal masses, and plop one of them back into the original bowl, and put it in the refrigerator to wait its turn.
Roll out the first mass of dough, using flour liberally to keep everything non-sticky. (This is how flour gets everywhere.). Roll it to your desired thickness (I like it a little thicker than most people; with a juicy pie, it’s nice – the thick crust will absorb a lot of juice and be very flavorful). Pick it up (carefully) and put it in your pie plate. (This is a terrifying moment. Be brave.)
Fill your piecrust with the filling of your choice.
Take crust #2 out of the fridge, roll it out, and do what you will with it. (I used to do latticed crusts, which are very attractive, but Partner let me know that he doesn’t care so much about latticed crusts. This is flattering, actually, because it tells me he actually likes the way the crust tastes, and doesn’t mind having a little more of it in the pie. In any case, do as you wish.)
Finish the edge of pie in your preferred manner. (I pinch mine; it’s simple and very Early American. My mother used to do an elaborate thing like a ribbon around the outer edge of the pie; it was beautiful, but I (frankly) can’t be bothered.)
There will almost certainly be lots of extra crust hanging around the pieplate. Trim it off with a knife.
(This recipe creates a lot of extra crust, if you do it the way I do. I take the remaining crust (after trimming), roll it out in sugar, cut it in strips, put some honey and cinnamon and extra sugar on top, and bake the strips for about 20 minutes in the same oven with the pie; they’re a nice little snack while you’re waiting for the pie to cool.)
See how easy?
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