Marthas Perfect Pie Crust Recipes

MARTHA STEWARTS FOOLPROOF PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Put the flour, salt and sugar into a food processor and pulse once or twice.
• Add the butter and process until the mixture looks grainy.
• Then slowly, while pulsing, add the water until you can form the dough by pressing it between your fingers.
• Decant the loose dough onto a piece of plastic wrap.
• Using the wrap, fold the loose dough towards the middle and press with the back of your hands to form dough.
• Split into two pieces and wrap each and chill for at least 4 hours before using.
• Dough can be made ahead for up to one week.

MARTHA WHITE'S PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt; mix well.
• With pastry blender or fork, cut in half of shortening until mixture is fine and mealy.
• Cut in remaining shortening until mixture is consistency of small peas.
• Sprinkle water over mixture; stir gently with fork until dough leaves sides of bowl.
• If some dry particles remain in bottom of bowl, sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon water; continue to stir with fork until particles are worked into dough.
• Mixture should be moist enough to form a ball, but should not be sticky.
• Shape dough into 1 or 2 balls (depending on one- or two-crust); flatten to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges.
• On floured surface, roll out dough to 11-inch round.
• Carefully roll dough around rolling pin; unroll unto 9-inch pie pan, or 9- or 10-inch tart pan; Fit evenly into pan; do not stretch.
• For one-crust baked pie shell (unfilled): Heat oven to 475F; Prick bottom and sides of pastry generously with fork; Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown; Cool on wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cooled.
• Continue as directed in pie recipe.
• For Two-Crust Pie: 2 cups Martha White All Purpose Flour 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup shortening 4 1/2 to 5 tablespoons cold water.

MARTHA'S PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Hand Method: In a large bowl, sift the flour and salt. Cut the chilled butter and margarine into 1-tablespoon bits and add to the flour. With a pastry cutter, work flour and shortening together until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the ice water little by little pressing the pastry together into a ball. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
• It is very important to work the pastry as little as possible. Don't overhandle. A secret to light, flaky pastry is to keep the mixture cool, add as little water as possible, and mix only as much as necessary.
• Food Processor Method: Put flour and salt in bowl of machine. Cut butter and margarine into flour. Process a few seconds until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drop by drop add the water, processing very briefly. The whole process would take 20 to 30 seconds. Wrap and chill the pastry for at least 1 hour.
• If pastry has been chilled for a long time, let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before rolling.
• Lightly flour a pastry board, marble counter, or kitchen counter. Divide the pastry in half. Pat each piece of pastry into a flat round. Lightly flour the rolling pin. Roll pastry in one direction only, turning pastry continually to prevent it from sticking to the surface.
• Using pie plate as a guide, measure rolled-out pastry -- it should be slightly larger than the pie plate and 1-8-inch thick. Fold rolled pastry circle in half so you can lift it more easily. Unfold, gently fitting the pastry into the pie plate, allowing pastry to hang evenly over the edge. Do not trim the pastry yet.
• Fill the pie with filling. Then roll out the second crust in the same manner as for the bottom. Fold circle in half and with a sharp, pointed knife cut little vents in a decorative pattern. Place folded pastry on one half the pie. Unfold, pressing top and bottom pastry together. Trim edges with scissors, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold bottom pastry overhang over top and press firmly to seal. Crimp rim, using fingers or the tines of a fork.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.