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Single Pie Crust |
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Ingredients:
8 Tbs. unsalted butter, cold |
Prep time: 2 hours Divide the butter into two parts, one 5 Tbs. portion and one 3 Tbs. portion. Cut each chunk of butter into 3/4-inch cubes. Wrap each portion of butter with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the 5 Tbs. portion, and freeze the 3 Tbs. portion, for at least 30 minutes. Place the flour, salt, and baking powder in a reclosable gallon-size freezer bag and freeze for at least 30 minutes. Place the flour mixture in a food processor with the metal blade and brocess for a few seconds to combine. Set the bag aside. Add the 5 Tbs. of butter to the flour and process for about 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the remaining frozen butter cubes and pulse until all of the frozen butter is the size of peas. (Toss with a fork to see better.) Add 2 1/2 Tbs. ice water and the vinegar and pulse 6 times. Pinch a small amount of the mixture together between your fingers. If it does not hold together, add 1/2 Tbs. ice water and pulse 3 times. Try pinching the mixture again. If necessary, add the remaining water, pulsing 3 times to incorporate it. The mixture will be in particles and will not hold together without being pinched. Spoon the mixture into the plastic bag. Knead the mixture by pressing it together with your fingers until it holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, flatten it into a disc, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it softens enough to be malleable. Thwacking it with the rolling pin also helps to ready it for rolling, but if the dough is too cold, it will crack. Always work quickly so that the dough doesn't have a chance to soften. Use a firm, steady pressure to roll the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch or slightly less thick. As the center tends to be the thickest part, roll from the center out. Avoid the edges, as they tend to become thinner than the rest of the dough. Lift and move the dough occasionally to make sure it is not sticking and flour lightly under the dough only if it is necessary. If at any point the dough becomes too soft, slip it onto a baking sheet, cover it, and refrigerate or freeze it until firm. Fold the rolled dough gently in fourths, center the point in the pie pan, and unfold it, easing it into the pan without stretching it. Press it gently against the sides. Some pie recipes require a pre-baked crust. Preheat oven to 425º for at least 20 minutes. Line the pie crust with parchment, pleating it as necessary to fit the shape of the pan. Fill the parchment with rice or dried beans, making sure they are pushed up well against sides of the parchment. Bake for 20 minutes. Lift out the parchment and rice or beans; prick the crust all over with the tines of a fork – but only halfway through if the filling will be sticky or runny. Return the pie crust to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes more or until pale golden brown. Check after 3 minutes and prick again if the upper layer of the dough has bubbled up. |
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