Sunsets Best Basic Pie Crust Dough Recipes

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.

COUNTDOWN #1 BEST PIE CRUST EVER

Steps:

• Blend the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and shortening; pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle 4 tablespoons ice water over the mixture. Process just until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic. Chill 1 hour. Use the dough with your favorite pie recipe.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 14-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch diameter glass pie dish. Fold the overhang under. Crimp the edges decoratively. Pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep frozen.)
• For recipes that call for a pre-baked pie crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line the crust with aluminum foil. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and foil. Bake until golden and set, about 10 minutes. Cool. (Crust can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature.)

BEST EVER PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half, and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
• Roll out dough on a floured counter. Don't over work it. Use as directed in pie recipe.

SUNSET'S BEST BASIC PIE CRUST DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Drop in butter and shortening. Using your hands, a fork, a pastry cutter, or two knives, work butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles cornmeal with some small pea-sized pieces.
• Using a fork, quickly stir in 1/2 cup ice water (mixture will not hold together). Turn dough and crumbs onto a clean surface. Knead just until dough starts to hold together but some bits still fall away, 5 to 10 times. Divide dough in half and pat each half into a 6-inch disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes and up to overnight.
• NOTES: "If you would like to use lard--which also contributes flavor and flakiness to pie crust--substitute 2 tbsp lard for 2 tbsp of the shortening. Try to get good-quality lard from a butcher shop if you can; it's generally much better than ordinary grocery-store lard.".

SUNSET'S BRAMBLEBERRY PIE

Steps:

• Put an oven rack on the lowest rung, and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly dust your counter and rolling pin with flour, then unwrap one disk of dough. With short strokes from center outward, roll dough into a 12-inch circle (about 1/8-inch thick), turning 90 degrees after every 3 or 4 passes of the rolling pin to keep it from sticking. Transfer dough to a 9-inch pie pan, letting it fall into place. (If you push or stretch the dough, it will shrink back when baked.) Trim overhang to 1/4 inch. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 15 minutes and up to overnight. Meanwhile, roll second disk into an 11-inch circle. Transfer to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 15 minutes and up to overnight.
• While crusts chill, put berries in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, and salt. Stir gently until berries are well coated. Taste and add more granulated sugar if you like.
• Pour berry mixture into chilled bottom crust and dot with butter. Unwrap top crust, and lay over pie. Fold bottom crust edge up over edge of top crust, and crimp edges together. Cut several vents in top crust, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp sugar. Put pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is browned and filling is bubbling, 60 to 75 minutes. (Cover edges with foil if they become too dark before middle of top is nicely browned.).
• Let pie cool until bottom of pie pan reaches room temperature, at least 3 hours. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if you like.

EASIEST PIE CRUST EVER!

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt.
• Add oil and water all at once to flour.
• With a fork, stir until mixture holds together.
• Shape dough into a ball and flatten.
• Roll between two pieces of wax paper to a 12" diameter.
• Peel off one piece of wax paper and invert dough, paper side up, into a 9" pie plate.
• Peel off second piece of paper. Ease an fit pastry into plate. Trim and flute edges.
• NOTE: DO NOT pierce pie crust. Fill as desired and bake according to pie recipe.
• Can be doubled for a 2 crust pie.

SUNSET'S PEACH STREUSEL PIE

Steps:

• Put an oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together walnuts, pecans, flour, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Add butter and stir with a fork until mixture forms small clumps (break apart any large clumps with your fingers). Set aside.
• Gently mix peaches, sugar, and tapioca in a large bowl. Taste and add additional sugar if you like. Set aside.
• Dust your counter and rolling pin with flour. With short strokes from center outward, roll dough into a 12-inch circle (about 1/8 inch thick), turning 90 degrees after every 3 or 4 passes of the rolling pin to keep it from sticking. Transfer dough to a 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate, letting it fall into place. (If you push or stretch the dough, it will shrink back when baked.) Trim overhang to 1/2 inch, tuck edge under, and crimp edge. Pile peaches into crust, then top with streusel.
• Put pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until topping and bottom crust are well browned, about 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature, at least 2-1/2 hours, before serving.
• NOTES: "If your peaches are exceptionally juicy, toss with an additional tbsp of tapioca. To peel peaches, make a small X on the bottom of the fruit, then plunge into boiling water for 30 seconds. Once cool, the skin will pull free.".