Basic Pie Crust 101 Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium size bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water over flour. Toss mixture with a fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together.
• Gently gather dough particles together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
• Roll out dough, and put in a pie plate. Fill with desired filling and bake.

Steps:

• In a food processor, briefly pulse flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Dont overmix.
• Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over dough; press to shape into a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
• On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll dough to a 14-inch round with a floured rolling pin. Wrap dough around rolling pin, discarding paper; unroll over a 9-inch pie plate (opposite). Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate (do not stretch dough).
• Using kitchen shears, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang. Fold under itself to form a rim, and press to seal. Using thumb and forefinger, crimp rim of crust. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 day.

Steps:

• To make the dough for the pie crust, mix 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Cut 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add 4 tablespoons ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more tablespoons). Do not overwork.
• Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• To form the pie shell, roll the dough on a floured surface into a 14-inch round. Wrap around rolling pin and carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate.
• Fit gently into bottom and side of plate. Use kitchen shears to trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and seal to form a rim.
• Crimp rim with fingertips and knuckle. Repeat with remaining dough; wrap each with plastic, stack, and freeze.

Steps:

• Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl.
• Using only your fingertips, pinch the cubes of butter into the flour, breaking up the butter as you go, until no large lumps remain. Shake the bowl to force the large chunks of butter to the surface. If you have warm hands or this is taking too long, you can chill the bowl into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to cool back down--you don't want this to be greasy at all!
• Mix the egg yolks and ice water together in a small bowl with a fork until evenly combined.
• Add the liquid to the flour mixture, reserving ¼ or so in case you don't need all of it--you don't want the pastry to be too wet. Quickly mix everything together with a dinner fork until the dough just starts to come together. Add more liquid to the driest parts of the dough if needed. The dough is ready when it holds together in a ball when squeezed in your palm.
• Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and bring the dough together. You don't want to overwork the dough, but you need to work it enough that it is a cohesive disc with no real cracks or very dry bits.
• Wrap the dough disc in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. The dough can sit in the fridge for up to 4 days, otherwise double wrap in plastic or in a zip top bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Lightly flour your work surface and unwrap a disc of chilled dough. Flour the top of the dough. Using a rolling pin, push down on the dough, giving it a quarter turn every few smushes, to spread the dough evenly and ensure it doesn't stick to the surface.
• Start to roll out the dough, continuing to turn. If any cracks form, smush them back together. Roll out the dough to a circle about ⅛-inch (3 mm) thick.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter, until mixture resembles the texture of tiny split peas. Do not use your hands to try and mix it; the heat from your hands will melt the shortening, causing the pastry to be "heavy," not light and fluffy.
• Once the mixture is the right texture,, add the ice water and combine with a fork. It may appear to need more water, it does not. Quickly gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a 4-inch-wide disk. Wrap it with plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Remove dough disk from refrigerator. If stiff and very cold, let stand until dough is cool but soft enough to work with.
• Using a floured rolling pin,roll dough disk on a lightly floured surface from the center out in each direction, forming a 12-inch circle. To transfer dough, carefully roll it around the rolling pin, lift and unroll dough, centering it in an ungreased 9-inch regular or deep-dish pie plate. (or you can fold dough in quarters, then place dough point in center of pie pan and unfold dough, whichever is easiest for you.