Butter Crust

I have been biased against butter crust because it is difficult to work with, so I usually stick with shortening.  However, I got a wonderful gift - a marble rolling pin, which can be chilled prior to use, thereby making the dough easier to roll out. So I decided to give butter crust another shot because I think a more flavorful crust is preferable for bite size pies.  In taste tests like this one, butter crust wins the flavor contest.  Although, I think the methodology in this test is flawed because the crust was tasted alone, and crusts really should be taste tested with filling because pie is a marriage of flavors and textures, so no individual component should be judged alone.  Lawyerly enough for you? 

This is my tried-and-true pie crust but with 1 cup of butter rather than shortening.  In addition to the butter, you need 2 cups of flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1 egg and a touch of water.

Mix salt and baking powder into flour with a fork.

And add 2 cold sticks of unsalted butter.

Then cut the butter in with a pastry blender.  If you do not have a pastry blender, you can cut the butter into half-inch cubes and pulse the mixture in a food processor.  I find it is easiest to press the pastry blender against the back of the bowl in order to break up the butter.

It should form an uneven mixture that resembles a coarse meal.

Then break one egg into a measuring cup and add cold water until it reaches 3/4 of a cup (this took a bit more water than my shortening crust). Whisk and add to the flour mixture.

And mix gently with your hands until it forms a ball.  It doesn't have to look perfect; you can use the plastic wrap to help form it into a ball.

A trick I learned from Martha Stewart Living (god, I hate myself for saying that) is to flatten the dough slightly after you wrap it up because that will allow it to chill faster.  Clever, Martha, clever.

After it chills for at least 3 hours, generously flour your surface.  Very generously.

And roll out the dough.  This rolling pin is amazing because it's heavy, so it's very effective.  The key with butter crust is not to handle it too much with your hands and work quickly, so it will stay cold.  It is more pliable and seems to break less easily than shortening crust.  (I might be a butter crust convert.)

Butter Crust

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 egg

about 1/4 cup of cold water

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder with a fork.  Break egg into a measuring cup.  Add water until it reaches 3/4 cup.  Whisk slightly, and pour over flour mixture.  Blend gently with your hands until it forms a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  If you want it to chill more quickly, flatten slightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  

Tried-and-true Pie Crust

This post is for you, Kelsey. The recipe is simple and always garners compliments. Consequently, I haven't tried many variations on it. Why mess with vinegar or cold butter when I know this one's a winner?

There are very few ingredients: 1 cup vegetable shortening, 2 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1 egg, and a touch of water.  (I noticed the store now carries butter-flavored vegetable shortening. I'm tempted to try it, but I loathe any artificial flavoring. Has anyone tried it before?).  

Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to 2 cups of flour.

And add 1/4 teaspoon baking powder. The baking powder gives the crust a flakier quality and makes the dough a little more forgiving of being overworked.

Stir the flour mixture with a fork, then drop in the shortening.

Now comes the fun part! Set aside your pastry blender and mix the shortening and flour with your hands. By rubbing the mixture between your thumb and fingers, it will start to develop a cornmeal-like texture.

The mixture doesn't have to be perfectly uniform as long as the shortening is broken into small pieces.

Next, break an egg into a measuring cup and add cold water until it reaches 1/2 a cup.

And beat the egg mixture with a fork.

Then pour it over the flour mixture.

And mix it gently with your hands until all of the flour is wet and it forms into a ball. It's important not to overmix the dough here. You want the small beads of shortening to remain intact because they create the flaky layers when you roll it out.

Then wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. It really needs to be refrigerated overnight. Despite what cookbooks say, three hours is not enough.

Pie Crust

This is my mom's recipe. The recipe says it makes three single crusts, but I think it's more like two and a half or enough for one deep-dish pie.

2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup shortening
1 egg

Add salt and baking powder to flour, mix
Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles cornmeal or a coarse meal, set aside
Break egg into measure cup
Add cold water until it reaches 1/2 a cup, mix
Add egg/water mixture to flour mixture and mix gently until it all holds together
Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight

When you roll it out, use lots of flour on the rolling pin and surface.