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bakerman
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Mexico
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12-01-2020, 05:18 AM
1

Perfect pie crust every time

The following recipe contains some secrets to getting a perfect, light, flaky, pie crust every time.

It is CRITICAL that ALL ingredients are kept ice cold.

4 cups of A.P flour (all purpose flour NOT bread flour)
1TBLSP of corn starch
1 TBLSP white sugar
1 tsp salt
Combine the above and stir well and put in freezer, If not enough room then put in fridge.
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1 +1/2 cup of solid shortening (like Crisco). Use butter if in a pinch.
Using a pastry blender, blend the shortening into the cold flour mix. Blend until you see pieces about the size of a lentil. Put back in fridge to chill further.
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1/2 cup + 2 TBLSP of ICE COLD water
1 whole egg
1 TBLSP white vinegar
beat with a fork and add to the flour/shortening mix, and very lightly blend with a fork, BUT DO NOT OVER WORK the dough or else your pie crust will be tough. The goal here is to gather together all of the flour into a large round ball.
CONTINUED
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bakerman
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12-01-2020, 05:41 AM
2

Re: Perfect pie crust every time

PIE CRUST CONTINUED

place ball of dough on the counter and cut into 4 equal sized pieces. Slightly flatten out each piece and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Put in fridge for a minimum of 1 hour (up to 24 hours is fine). You now have enough dough to make 2 double crusted pies or 4 single crust pies.
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Make whatever filling you plan on using. Example: I always pre-cook my apple pie filling until the apples have lost their crispness and the "sauce" is thick enough. Set aside to cool to room temp.
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When ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to the needed temp.
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Lightly dust a work space on the counter and take only one piece of dough from the fridge and place it on the dusted counter.
Roll out the dough, using a rolling pin, working from the center outwards until you have a size that will fit into the bottom of a 9 inch (23 cm.) pie tin. Is the dough too sticky ? Then VERY lightly dust the dough with more flour. Yes you may use a glass pie pan but you may have to roll out the dough slightly large size. Now, very gently fold the dough in half and in half again. Put the dough into the pie tin so that the "point is at the center of the pie tin. Unfold to fit the pie tin.
If filling is room temp, fill the pie tin. You MAY want to mound the filling toward the center. That's up to you.
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Repeat the rolling out step again with the 2nd piece of dough. Put the top piece of dough onto the pie filling. But it is important that you make a good seal between the 2 crusts. Trim the two pieces of dough so that you have a 1/2 inch over-lap beyond the edge of the pie tin. I always fold the top crust up and over and under the bottom crust. You may now seal the two pieces together. I generally use my left hand thumb and fore finger and the right hand fore finger and press the two hands together making a wavy edge that sticks straight up.
If making a pie that steams a lot (like a fruit pie) you should make vents in the top crust that looks pretty to you.
Put the pie on a flat sheet pan ( this will catch any drips as the pie is baking). Put into the oven and bake as normal, for whatever time and temp is required.
CONTINUED
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bakerman
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12-01-2020, 05:57 AM
3

Re: Perfect pie crust every time

PIE CRUST CONTINUED

if making only one double crusted pie, then put the two remaining pieces in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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When baking on a hot summers day, it is ABSOLUTEY CRITICAL that all ingredients are kept ice cold at all times so that the shortening does not begin to melt. Yes, your hands are warm so be careful that you do not work the dough too much with your fingers.
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If making a single crust pie, like an egg custard, you will need to "Blind bake" that single crust until it turns a light golden brown. Then fill the partially baked single crust with your filling and continue baking.
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If I have not explained myself well, or if the crust is not to your satisfaction, please let me know and I'll try to help out.
HAPPY BAKING
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12-01-2020, 08:56 AM
4

Re: Perfect pie crust every time

If you don't object, I'll pass that on to Mrs B.
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bakerman
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12-01-2020, 09:22 AM
5

Re: Perfect pie crust every time

Originally Posted by Besoeker ->
If you don't object, I'll pass that on to Mrs B.
No objection at all. that's what it is there for.
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bakerman
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Mexico
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12-01-2020, 11:25 AM
6

Re: Perfect pie crust every time

If anyone what to make a single crusted pie, just let me know and I'll relay special instructions.
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God's own county!
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13-01-2020, 01:20 PM
7

Re: Perfect pie crust every time

Sounds good to me, Bakerman.
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14-01-2020, 12:50 PM
8

Re: Perfect pie crust every time

I do so envy you clever pastry makers. Try as I have countless times over the years, I am useless at making pastry so have a stock of frozen ready to roll pastry for all of the fruit pies I make. Thankfully, apart from HWMO (He who must obey), nobody has sussed that it is shop bought pastry because by the time it comes out of the oven and I sprinkle a little Golden Caster sugar over, nobody would ever guess it was not made by my own fair hand! LOL. Mind you, I bet it doesn't taste a quarter as nice as your own pastry as above.
 

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