(This recipe will make crusts for two single-crust pies or one double-crust pie)
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (16 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
½ cup cold water or more as needed
Instructions:
- Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl
- Cut in the butter. For a tender crust, the fat particiles should be worked in quickly and the mixture will look like coarse meal e.g. corn meal.
- Add water and toss just until a shaggy dough forms. Grab a handful of the dough and squeeze. If the dough appears floury and falls apart, add additional water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together when squeezed.
- Remove the dough mass to a work surface. If needed, bring the dough together with a few quick, gentle kneads.
- Divide the dough in half dough, then form each piece into a disk.
- Wrap the dough pieces in plastic wrap and flatten into a round about four inches in diameter and about one inch thick. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, gently but firmly tap down the dough, then begin rolling from the center out, taking care not to roll over the edges. Rotate the dough ¼ turn between each roll to ensure the dough is not sticking and keeps its round shape. You need a 13-inch circle for a 9 inch pie plate.
- Transfer dough to the pie plate by first folding the circle in half and then into quarters. Place the point of the quartered dough at the center of the pie plate and gently unfold.
- Trim the crust so there is about 1 ½ inch border of dough around the pie plate.
- Add the filling, and roll out the top crust the same manner as the bottom crust. Transfer to cover the filling. If using a top crust, cut slits into it to vent steam while baking.
