Piecrust
- Comments()
- Prep Time 40 minutes
- Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield Makes 1 crust
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons ice water
Directions
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In a food processor, pulse several times to combine 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and sugar.
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Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces remaining.
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Add 2 tablespoons ice water; pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if needed, add up to 2 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix.
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Turn out onto work surface; knead once or twice, until dough comes together. Flatten dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
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Place dough on a floured piece of parchment or waxed paper. Using knuckles, press edges of dough to help prevent cracking when you roll it out.
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Roll dough to a 14-inch round. Using parchment, lift and wrap dough around rolling pin; carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and along sides of plate, being careful not to stretch or tear dough.
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Using kitchen shears or a paring knife, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and seal to form a rim. Crimp rim with fingertips. Prick bottom of pie dough all over with a fork, to prevent it from puffing up or shrinking in the oven. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
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If prebaking the crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until crust is firm and golden, about 20 minutes. Cool completely before filling.
After many attempts at making crusts like my mother's , I gave up and used the pre-made ones at the store. Last holiday season, faced with making about 20 pies for a house full of company, I decided to put my faith in Martha's recipe. I figured it couldn't turn out worse than my other attempts. Since I started using this recipe, no more tough, nasty crusts. I have gotten many compliments and enjoy making crusts now. Using the processor keeps me from over kneading the dough. Thanks Martha!