Hope you enjoy the video illustrating how to make some of my favorite pie crust recipes. A few tips and tricks to make them the perfect crust to be filled. #1 Combination Crust, #2 Brown Butter Crust, #3 All Butter Crust and #4 Shortbread Crust. I'm showing how to make without a food processor. If you have a food processor you may use it to combine.
COMBINATION BUTTER AND SHORTENING CRUST
Ingredients for one double-crust 9 inch or 10 inch pie:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup (a stick and a half) unsalted butter, chilled and grated. If you do not have a grater don't worry. Just chop into small pieces.
1/2 cup of all-vegetable shortening (8 Tbsp)
6-8 Tablespoons ice water
Make the dough: Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse 4 times.
Add shortening in tablespoon sized chunks, and pulse 4 more times. The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no bigger than peas.
Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over flour mixture. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready.
If the dough doesn't hold together, keep adding water, a teaspoon at a time.
Form disks: Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface.
Divide the dough into 2 balls and flatten each into 4 inch wide disks.
Do not over-knead the dough!
Dust the disks lightly with flour, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 2 days before rolling out.
Roll out the dough: After the dough has chilled in the refrigerator for an hour, you can take it out to roll. If it is too stiff, you may need to let it sit for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before rolling.
Sprinkle a little flour on a flat, clean work surface and on top of the disk of dough you intend to roll out.
Using a rolling pin, apply light pressure while rolling outwards from the center of the dough. Every once in a while you may need to gently lift under the dough (a pastry scraper works great for this) to make sure it is not sticking.
You have a big enough piece of dough when you place the pie tin or pie dish upside down on the dough and the dough extends by at least 2 inches all around.
Place into pie dish: When the dough has reached the right size, gently fold it in half. Lift up the dough and place it so that the folded edge is along the center line of the pie dish. Gently unfold. Do not stretch the dough.
Trim edges: If you are only making a single crust pie, use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the lip of the dish. Tuck the overhang underneath itself along the edge of the pie dish. Use your fingers in a pinching motion, or the tines of a fork to crimple the edge of the pie crust.
If you are making a double crust pie, roll out the second disk of dough. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Finish the double crust by pressing against the edges of the pie with your finger tips or with a fork.
Make vents in top: Use a sharp knife to cut vents into the top of the pie crust, so the steam has a place to escape while the pie is cooking. You may also use extra dough from the trim to decorate.
Optional Before scoring, you may want to paint the top of your crust with an egg wash (this will make a nice finish).
Brown Butter Crust
Ingredients for crust
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
3/4 cups of brown butter (watch video for instructions)
1/4- 1/3 cups of water
Optional: 1tsp of salt and sugar. ( I used salted butter so I did not add additional salt. I am also sugar conscious so I did not add to crust. Please feel free to add if you like
INSTRUCTIONS FOR BROWN BUTTER
Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, watching closely, 5-7 minutes or until butter foams and turns golden brown. Immediately remove from heat. Pour butter into medium bowl, scraping bottom of pan to get all the brown bits. Place in freezer; freeze, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until very firm.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CRUST
Add flour to browned butter in bowl; cut in with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in enough cold water with fork just until flour is moistened.
1-crust pie: Roll out dough on lightly floured surface into 12-inch circle. Fold into quarters. Place dough into 9-inch pie pan; unfold, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim crust to 1/2 inch from edge of pan; crimp or flute edge. Fill and bake according to pie recipe directions. Bake unfilled pie shell: Roll out dough on lightly floured surface into 12-inch circle. Fold into quarters. Place dough into 9-inch pie pan; unfold, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim crust to 1/2 inch from edge of pan; crimp or flute edge. Prick crust all over with fork. Place sheet of parchment in crust to cover bottom and side; fill with rice, dried beans or pie weights to weigh down. Bake 10 minutes; remove weight and parchment. Continue baking 4-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely
For cobbler cut into strips or circles as shown. Follow your favorite peach cobbler recipe. Brush with peach jam or egg wash and bake.
All Butter Crust
ALL-BUTTER PASTRY CRUST FOR SWEET AND SAVORY PIES (ENOUGH FOR BOTTOM AND TOP CRUST)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes or grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
6 to 8 Tbsp ice water
METHOD
1 Mix flour, sugar, and salt: Put flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple times to mix.
2 Add butter, half at a time, pulsing several times after each addition: Add about half of the butter to the food processor and pulse several times. Then add the rest of the butter and pulse 6 to 8 times until the largest pieces of butter are about the size of large peas.
3 Slowly add ice water: Sprinkle the mixture with about 1/4 cup of ice water (make sure there are no ice cubes in the water!) and pulse again. Then add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition until the dough just barely begins to hold together. You know that the mixture is ready if when you pinch some of the crumbly dough together with your fingers, it holds together. Be cautious with the amount of water you add, too much and the crust will be tough.
3 Make two dough disks: Carefully empty the crumbly dough mixture from the food processor on to a clean, dry, flat surface. Gather the mixture in a mound.
Divide the dough mixture into two even-sized mounds. Use your hands and knead each mound just enough to form each one into a disk. Do not over-knead! Kneading develops gluten which will toughen the dough, not something you want in a pastry crust. You should just knead enough so that the dough holds together without cracks.
If you started with cold butter you should be able to see small chunks of butter speckling the dough. This is a good thing. These small bits of butter will spread out into layers as the crust cooks so you have a flaky crust!
Sprinkle each disk with a little flour, wrap each one in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour or up to 2 days.
4 Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit for a few minutes: Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier.
5 Roll out dough, place in pie dish: Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking.
Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate.
Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.
6 Add filling to the pie.
7 Roll out second disk, place on top of filling: Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie.
Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together.
Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork.
Score the top of the pie with four 2-inch long cuts, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape.
Shortbread Crust
Shortbread crust, also known as sablé breton crust, is a buttery pastry used as the crust for pies, tarts, and cookie bars. Its an easy recipe similar to regular crust just a little sweeter.
INGREDIENTS
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature cut into pieces or grated.
1/3 cup POWDER sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Combine the crumbs and sugar; add room temperature butter and blend well.
Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes
Before filling bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes this is cold a blind bake or until crust is lightly browned. You will need parchment paper and pie beads, rice or beans to fill the pie before baking. This will help the pie keep its shape.
Bake, Cool and remove the added fillings.
Add your filling and continue baking according to your recipe.
