BASIC AND FLAKY PIE AND TART CRUST DOUGH by Sarah Phillips © 2000 Sarah Phillips baking911.com
For one or two crusts 9-inch pie or one 10-inch tart
stock photo
I like to use this easy to make pie dough. The baking powder helps the crust to puff and brown. This crust can be made 3 - 4 days in advance by wrapping it in plastic wrap and refrigerating it.
How to partially and fully blind-bake a crust.
PASTRY HELP
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients for a one-crust pie or tart, about 10 ounces dough
1 1/4 cups (about 5 1/2 ounces) all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tablespoon sugar, optional
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick) cold unsalted
2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
Ingredients for a two-crust pie or tart, about 1- 1/4 pounds dough
2 1/2 cups (about 11 ounes) all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water
INSTRUCTIONS
MIX BY HAND: Combine flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a 9 x 13-inch pan and stir well to mix. Add chilled butter to dry ingredients. Toss once or twice to coat pieces of butter. Rub or cut the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingertips or pastry blender, by breaking it into tiny pieces or by continuously pinching and squeezing it into the dry ingredients. Continue until the butter is the size of small peas and no large pieces of butter remain visible. Scatter 1/4 cup water on the butter and flour mixture and stir gently with a fork. The dough should begin clumping together. If the mixture still appears dry and crumbly, slowly add the remaining water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough starts to clump together and is a bit crumbly. Divide dough into two disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, preferably overnight.
MIX BY FOOD PROCESSOR: To mix the dough by food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a work bowl fitted with a metal blade. Pulse once or twice to combine.
Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces or grate. Place in the freezer for to chill. Add butter to dry ingredients. Pulse 3 - 5 times at 1-second intervals, until the mixture resembles a coarse-ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible. Scatter the smaller amount of water on the butter and flour mixture and pulse 5 or 6 times at 1-second intervals --the dough should begin holding together. If the mixture still appears dry and crumbly, add the remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time for the smaller quantity of dough, a tablespoon at a time for the larger quantity, until the dough holds together easily.
LAST STEP: Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a disk (two equal ones for a two-crust recipe). Sandwich the disks) between two pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6-inch disc. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, or until you are ready to use, at least 1 hour.
