Elementary Double Pie Crust Recipe

Weigh your flour, or measure it by gently spooning it correct proper right into a cup, then sweeping off any additional.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk collectively the flour and salt.

Add the shortening, working it in till the combination is evenly crumbly, like coarse seaside sand; you need every half utterly blended.

Lower the butter into small (about 1/2″) cubes.

Add the butter to the flour combination, and work it in roughly collectively alongside along with your fingers, a pastry cutter, or a mixer. Do not be too thorough; the combination ought to be fairly uneven, with huge chunks of butter in among the many many many smaller ones. Individuals get nervous about pie crust, and of their nervousness they’ve an inclination to work the dough an excessive amount of. Working the butter in utterly makes a mealy crust pretty than a flaky one.

Drizzle 4 tablespoons of water over the flour combination, tossing gently to mix.

Add ample additional water to make a chunky, pretty cohesive combination. It must care for collectively if you collect a bit up and squeeze it in your hand. Watch out for kneading the pastry an excessive amount of and/or along with an excessive amount of water, as this may increasingly often toughen the crust.

Gently type the pastry correct proper right into a cohesive mass. Or earlier than shaping, take it a step additional: Change the shaggy combination to slightly little bit of parchment paper. Press it correct into a hard rectangle and fold the dough into thirds, like a enterprise letter. If obligatory, spritz any dry areas with chilly water and flatten and fold as quickly as additional, repeating the technique till all errant bits of dough have been included. Folding the dough on this vogue will create additional flaky layers in your closing crust.

Divide the dough in half. Purchase each bit correct into a hard disk. Clear the disks; it is OK within the occasion that they’ve only some cracks all through the flooring. Clear their edges by working the disks alongside a floured flooring like a wheel.

Wrap the crusts in plastic or your favourite reusable storage wrap. Chill for half-hour, or as lots as in a single day. Or wrap in aluminum foil over the plastic, and freeze for as lots as two months.

For full particulars on ending your pie (together with rolling the pastry, transferring it to the pan, along with filling and prime crust, and baking), please see our Pie Baking Knowledge.