Pie Crust

This makes two crusts. An upper and bottom. Some pies only need one.

Ingredients:

• 2 2/3 cups flour
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (chilled)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Ice water

Notes: A key part in making a good crust is not melting the butter, so use really cold butter, don’t handle it very much, and be quick about it.

To make the dough:

1. Put the flour and salt into the food processor and pulse to mix them.
2. Cut the butter up into tablespoons, and put into the food processor.
3. Pulse the butter to break it up a little.
4. Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time through the top.
5. Watch for the dough to start bowing in and falling off of the sides of the food processor.
6. Add the last little bit of water until the dough just comes together.
7. Dump the dough unto the counter, gently push it together, and form it into a ball.
8. Cover the ball in saran wrap and press it into a disk.
9. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

To roll out and form the crust:

1. Take the disk out of the refrigerator.
2. Put some flour on the counter (more than just “dusting” it).
3. Roll the dough out carefully, applying the rolling pin along the sides of the disk in a circular fashion.
4. As far as possible, keep the dough in a circle.
5. When it’s big enough, roll the dough up around the rolling pin and transfer the dough into the pan.
6. Cut the edges to size with kitchen shears.
7. Make sure you’re not stretching the dough to reach above the rim (cause it will stretch back in the oven).
8. Fold the dough such that there is a fold above the rim of the pan and the very edge of the dough is touching the rim.
9. Flute the dough gently with your fingers.
10. Poke the dough with a fork a bunch to make air holes, so the crust doesn’t inflate.

Blind bake the pie crust(this is optional, and depends on the pie.):

1. Prick the bottom with fork
2. Blind bake at 350 F lined with aluminum foil and filled with baking beans/weights until sides are dry and firm, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Remove weights
4. Bake until completely dry and firm (including bottom crust) and starting to turn golden, 5 to 10 minutes more.
5. Cool thoroughly.

Source T-City: https://caustedishungry.wordpress.com/2013/07/07/how-to-make-a-pie-crust/