Flaky Pastry Crusts

Key-
Make with solid shortening. Always flaky and tender. Definite measurements give perfect results!

Good baking tools -

• Pastry Blender or two knives used in cutting motion.
  
• Plastic pastry sheet or wax paper dusted with lightly with flour
  
• Oven Glass, enamel or dull metal pie pans absorb heat to give your pie crust a nice golden brown color. Shiny metal does not heat correctly.
  

Ingredients

2 cups sifted Gold Medal Flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. hydrogenated shortening such as Spry or Crisco
1/4 cup water mixed with 1 tsp. vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. Measure flour into mixing bowl and mix salt through it. With pastry blender, cut in shortening until particles are the size of peas.

2. Sprinkle with water, a tbsp. at a time ... mixing lightly with a fork until all flour is moistened.

3. Gather dough together with fingers so it cleans the bowl.

4. Press firmly into a ball. Then roll out. If not needed immediately, keep in waxed paper in refrigerator.

MAKING TWO CRUST PIE

1. Divide dough about in half. Round up larger part on lightly floured plastic pastry sheet (or wax paper) ... lightly dust rolling pin.

2. Flatten dough with hand, roll out not quite 1/8" thick. Roll lightly, being careful not to add extra flour as that makes pastry tough. Keep rounding edge of pastry. If it begins to break apart, pinch broken edges together immediately.

3. Keep pastry circular and roll it about 1" larger around than inverted pie pan to line pan and allow for depth.

4. Fold pastry in half. Carefully transfer to half of pie pan.

5. Unfold, and ease pastry loosely into pie pan, being careful not to stretch, for this will cause pastry to shrink during baking.

6. Prepare desired filling, and place in pastry-lined pie pan. Trim off over-hanging edges with kitchen scissors.

7. Roll out other part of dough for top crust large enough to extend 1" beyond edge of pie pan.

8. Fold pastry for top crust in half. Make several slits near center to allow steam to escape or top crust will puff up leaving a hollow space underneath.

9. Moisten edge of bottom pastry with water. Carefully place folded pastry evenly on top of filling. Unfold. Leave a 1/2" rim of pastry beyond edge of pan. Trim off any extra edges.

10. Fold the extra edge of the top pastry under the edge of the lower pastry. Seal thoroughly by pressing together with fingers on edge of pie pan.

11. Build up a high stand-up rim. Form a pretty fluted edge by firmly placing the right index finger on the inside of the rim, the left thumb and index finger around the pastry at that point. Pinch. Repeat all around the edge of the pie.




12. To prevent edge of crust from becoming too brown, cover with a 1 1/2" strip of aluminum foil. Bake pie as directed in filling recipe. Remove aluminum foil about 15 min. before end of baking time.

MAKING 2 One CRUST PIES

a. Follow 1-5 above dividing dough in half. After pastry has been eased into pan, trim ragged edge with kitchen scissors, leaving 1/2" overhanging edge of pan.

b. Fold extra pastry back and under, and build up a high fluted edge to hold a generous amount of filling.

c. Do not prick pastry. Pour most of filling into pastry-lined pie pan. To prevent spilling, place pan on oven rack then pour in remaining filling. Bake as per filling recipe.

FOR A BAKED PIE SHELL to hold filling which is added later.

a. Follow 1-5 above dividing
dough in half. After pastry has been eased into pan, trim ragged edge
with kitchen scissors, leaving 1/2" overhanging edge of pan.

b. Fold extra pastry back and under, and build up a high fluted edge to hold a generous amount of filling.

c. After building up a fluted edge, prick pastry thoroughly to prevent puffing during baking. Bake until golden brown.

TEMPERATURE: 475 degrees
TIME: Bake 8 to 10 min.

That's exactly how I make mine! I don't use vinegar though. I might try that.

I use a pastry blender though - I just got it in time for Thanksgiving, they're great!

Thanks for the post

gogetemtigers wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

That's exactly how I make mine! I don't use vinegar though. I might try that.

I use a pastry blender though - I just got it in time for Thanksgiving, they're great!

We just learned about the vinegar. It is supposed to make the crust more flaky without the taste coming through. I made pumpkin pies and homemade beef pot pies with the vinegar added and you could not taste it! The crust was nice and flaky. I loved it!

What kind of pastry blender did you get? The hand held ones with 4 wire loops?

I'll try vinegar next time. That's the kind of pastry blender I use. My grandma gave it to me. It's old...old is better for some kinds of things.