Pie Crust is Better with BUTTER
More expensive, yes, but BETTER.
Ingredients for a double-crust:
2 1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 c. butter
8-10 tbs COLD water*
*The main thing to remember when making a butter vs. shortening crust is to keep everything as COLD as possible. Shortening does not soften/melt/get all ooey-gooey sticky like warm butter does.
First measure out your water and put it in the freezer.
Then dice your butter. Small cubes. Put it in the fridge.
Mix dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, cut in diced butter. (Since it’s already cut, it won’t take as long, and therefore won’t get as warm!)
Add the freezing-cold water one tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with a fork as you go. Go around the bowl in circles. Do not overmix or your crust will not be wonderfully flaky. When it forms a ball, stop adding water.
Separate dough into two balls. Cover and refrigerate while you make your filling. Get out one ball at a time to work with. If you have a pastry cloth, this is the perfect time to use it. Sprinkle table or cloth with flour. Roll the first ball into a circle, 12″ in diameter. (Always start in the middle when rolling out the dough.)
Transfer crust to pie plate by rolling it up on your rolling pin and unrolling it over the plate. Trim even with pie plate.
Roll out the second ball. Also 12″. Cut slits to allow steam to escape.
Place filling in pie plate, transfer second crust to cover filling using your rolling pin.
Trim to a 1/2″ beyond the edge of the plate. Fold top pastry under bottom pastry and crimp the edge either with fingers and thumb or with a fork.
Bake!
See, that wasn’t hard.
Filed under: The Baking Days, The Cooking on November 3rd, 2009
So, do you freeze the crust: in a ball? rolled out? unbaked in the pie pan? baked in the pie pan? not at all?
I know you can buy them at the store at least 3 of those ways, I didn’t know which was best for at-home cooks.
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You know, I was wondering that very thing. Anyone else who knows, please tell us! And I wonder if freezing methods vary based on whether you use shortening or butter. I would guess not.
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Well, I did it, I used your recipe, halved so I would have only one crust. I made a huge mess (no pastry cloth or rolling pin) and it looked terrible. Don’t laugh when you see the pictures-they’ll be up later tonight–I am determined to master this, though, so I will try again!
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Aw, Charlene, I’m just proud you tried it! I can’t believe your first crust was a butter crust. It is harder to master than a shortening crust. Were you still able to use it?
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Yes, I used it, come and see my post http://tinyurl.com/yd2nds4
I will try again when I get rolling pie and pastry cloth, lol!
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My first (and subsequent) pie crusts were butter crusts. They just taste THAT much better. Yes, they are more difficult (I guess?) becase keeping the butter cold is a challenge, but worth it. Also, I discovered what Charlene did- halving the recipe for a two-crust pie doesn’t always work. My solution: Make 2 one-crust pies
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