Pie Crust

It Only Took 30 Years



Most of us have weaknesses in the kitchen, things that no matter how we try we just can't seem to get right. For years I had trouble with soufflés before finally understanding my problem. They're a piece of cake now — I could almost make one in my sleep. In fact, one night after teaching a class on soufflés (and making eight in a single day), I did make them in my sleep.

I have another dirty secret, I have a problem with pastry — pie crusts. It's an odd problem though. I've been making beautiful pie crusts for years with no problem, so long as I make them completely by hand. But I have trouble making one in a food processor. Oh, I know, this doesn't seem like such a big deal, but it has ancient roots.

Sermons are like piecrust, the shorter the better. ~ Austin O'Malley

In 1977 I bought a Cuisinart, as I recall, this was just a year after they became available in this country. My wife thought I was crazy to spend that much money on a "mixer." So we compromised, I bought the food processor we couldn't afford and she bought a rolling butcher-block island we couldn't afford to put it on. But then the shame set in. Not for our stupidity in spending twice as much as we couldn't afford, but because Cindy started using the Cuisinart to make beautiful shells for quiches and pies — and I just couldn't do it.

Try as I might I ended up with tough pastry. Pastries that were a far cry from the delicate, flakey things I produced using a bowl and pastry knife. What the hell was I doing wrong? Cindy offered suggestions and I tried them, I read recipes in books and tried them, but I just couldn't pull it off. So after Cindy and I split up I mostly gave up (except for occasional efforts) and just made the things by hand. But it stuck in my craw — just like soufflés had.

However, over the past few years making pastry has become harder to do. My hands have started cramping when I cut in the shortening, and so it seemed time to finally figure out the technique once and for all.

The Cook's Bible by the Chris Kimball of Cooks Illustrated had a food processor technique that sometimes (but not always) worked for me so I started there. The first thing I figured out is that a one-second pulse really needs to be a one-second pulse. For me this means I process while I say "1001" out loud, then off, then "1002" out loud, then off. Saying it out loud is a far more dependable measure of time than thinking it.

Second, Kimball's recipe recommends dumping the processed flour and shortening in a bowl before adding the ice water. Getting another bowl dirty seemed excessive to me when so many recipes add water to the processor. I should have known better. Kimball and company never make a recommendation that isn’t critical — at least for their recipe, so I tried that. And I remembered that when I was a kid making piecrust from a mix the instructions were to use a fork to mix in the water, I found this worked better for me than a spoon or, initially, my hands (the final mixing is by hand). Lastly, I found (again, for me, if no one else) that cold butter isn’t good enough, frozen works best.

Ingredients are also an issue. Most recipes for American piecrust call for butter and vegetable shortening. Butter provides flavor and shortening provides flakiness. My understanding is this is a result of the different melting points of butter and shortening. The idea is that the shortening keeps the layers discrete while the water in the butter turns to steam and separates them into pockets. Then the shortening melts. However, I've found that the new non-trans-fat shortenings don't make as good a pastry because they appear to have a lower melting point, one closer to butter's.

I know trans-fats are currently considered a "bad thing," but I only make piecrusts five or six times a year, I figure that relatively small amount of trans-fat (and since I make almost everything I eat, I have a good handle on how much trans-fat I eat) is worth eating for the sake of a better pie. However, in the recipe below I use lard (that I rendered myself), because it's delicious in a savory crust.

Pastry for Deep-dish, Two-Crust Pie
Adapted from The Cook's Bible by Christopher Kimball.

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
8 tbsp unsalted butter* — frozen
12 tbsp lard* — refrigerated
3/4 tsp table salt
2 tsp rubbed sage**
5 - 6 tbsp ice water

Place a small bowl of water with an ice cube in the freezer. Cut butter into 1/2 inch thick slices, then quarter each slice. Tear off two sheets of plastic wrap and lay out in a convenient place out of the way of your work area.

In a food processor, mix flour, salt, and sage.

Add half of butter to food processor and pulse once, briefly. Add remaining butter and pulse 5 times for 1 second per pulse. You will hear chunks of butter knocking against the bowl.

Add half of lard and pulse briefly, once. Add remaining lard and pulse 4 times for 1 second per pulse. If, after 4 pulses, you still hear chunks of butter, pulse twice more for 1 second each.

Dump the mixture into a large bowl. Remove ice water from freezer and sprinkle dough with three tablespoons of water. Stir thoroughly with a fork, pressing sometimes. Add two more tablespoons and mix again with a fork, then with your fingers. If dough isn't clumping together, add one more tablespoon of water and mix in by hand.

Shape dough into two balls, one somewhat larger (the one for the bottom crust — use your judgment, this ain't science) than the other. Place each ball on a square of plastic wrap, flatten and shape each ball into a 3/4 inch disc, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to absorb water thoroughly.

For a pie, roll out the larger disc to a 1/8th inch thick circle. Fold into quarters so that it forms a triangle and transfer to the pie pan with the apex of the triangle in the center. Gently unfold and press into shape. Using a sharp knife, trim to size leaving a 1/4 inch overhang.

Fill the pie, then repeat the operation with the top crust. Trim top crust to fit bottom crust, then press two crust together using your thumb and fingers. Fold welded crusted back toward center, and gently pleat with your fingers.

* If you're using shortening instead of lard, reduce shortening to 8 tablespoons and increase butter to 12. (This was Kimball's original proportions.)

** The herb is optional, but I like adding dried herbs to savory crusts, for a sweet crust add a couple of tablespoons of sugar, and consider adding a teaspoon of cinnamon, cardamom, or other appropriate dessert spice.

And by the way, I'm still using that same Cuisinart I bought 30 years ago. I'd like one with a bigger bowl and more features, but this little appliance has been more durable and dependable than the woman I was married to when I bought it — and not as inclined to over-heat.

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