Pie dough is very similar in just about every cookbook I can get my hands on. The basic difference is the size of pie that is made. This recipe will create two 9" - 20cm - pie crusts. If you're making individual pies, you can invert the dough onto custard cups, this recipe should make about 5-6.

What you'll need

• 3 cups - 300g - flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/3 cup - 75g - chilled shortening or lard
• 23 tablespoons chilled butter
• 6-8 tablespoons of water
• A deep 9" - 20cm - pie pan with a wide edge

What to do

1. Sift together the salt and flour.
2. Combine the butter and shortening.
3. Cut about ½ of the shortening mix into the flour mix. This can be done best with a pastry blender or a food processor with a dull plastic blade. It can also be done by hand. Work the shortening into the flour mix with the tips of the fingers, creating a thin, mealy mix.
4. Once the first half of the shortening is worked into the flour in this way, and the combination resembles corn meal, mix in the second half of the shortening. When adding the remainder of the shortening the dough should gather into pea sized pellets.
5. Once all the shortening is added, blend water lighly into the dough. The best way to do this is by dipping your fingers into the water and then working the water into the dough. Continue to do this until the dough is moist enough to be gathered into a ball.
6. Do not handle the pastry too much. Air gets into the pastry making it light and flaky. This is good. If you work the pastry too much the air will get beaten out of the mix.
7. At this point, cut the pastry in half.
8. Roll the dough from the center outward with a lightly floured rolling pin on a lightly floured wooden board.
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9. Roll the dough to a 1/8" - 3mm - thickness or less.
10. Cut an 10" - 25cm - circle in the rolled pastry; the best way to do this is to lay the 9" pie pan face down on the pastry and cut around it, leaving 1" - 2.5cm - around the edge.
11. Once cut, prise half of the pastry from the board and fold it over the other half, lift the whole pastry from the board and place the fold over the pan and open it.
12. Press the pastry into the pie pan to remove any air from between the pie and the pan, but be sure your fingers are slightly floured otherwise the pastry will stick to your hands.

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Friar, the Big Dawg

18.07.02 Front Page

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