Perfect Pie Dough

2009-12-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

Perfectly chewy, flaky pie dough starts with a simple recipe -- 2 1/2 cups of flour, 3/4 stick of butter, 3/4 cup of vegetable-base shortening. A teaspoon of salt. 1 cup of ice cold water.

Put your flour in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle salt over the flour and mix evenly. Cut the butter and shortening into small chunks and toss them in the bowl. Using a pastry blender (or your fingers) create a bowl of tiny flour-covered pebbles of shortening and flour.

Add about a half cup of ice water and mix lightly into the flour -- add more water a little at a time till you form a tight, soft ball that isn't sticky. Don't over mix. Further blending happens when you roll out your dough. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 1/2 hour.

Equipment hints: When you roll out your dough, it's best to minimize adding flour. A small amount on your counter or dough board will be needed as you roll. If you use a cloth-covered pastry board, all the better. If you use a marble rolling pin, the dough is easy to work. A nonstick rolling pin avoids the necessity to flour the pin. Cheesecloth sleeves are also available to slip over wooden rolling pins and lessen the need for flour. You will also need a dough scraper to help release the flattened dough from your board and move it to your pie pan.

Lightly flour your work surface. Press the chilled ball of dough flat with the palm of your hand. Lightly flour the top of the flattened ball. Make a chopping motion with your rolling pin to flatten it further. Then start rolling from the center of the dough outward. Turn the dough 45 degrees. Roll from the center outward. Repeat to form a nice round shape. (Some dough boards come with round guides of various sizes to help you form a perfect circle.)

To lift the dough to your pan, slide the dough scraper under & fold the circle in half. Do this again to fold it in quarters. Set the wedge in your pan and unfold it.

Here are links to Perfect Pie Dough Gadgets:

Pastry Blender
Canvas Covered Pastry Board
Dough Board with Circular Guide
Dough Scraper
Nonstick Rolling Pin

Plus pastry brushes, pie servers, pie pans & more!

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Perfect Pie Dough