What is the secret of a good pie?

What is the secret of a good pie crust? Most cooks who make pie crusts on a regular basis have all their answers to this question. Some swear by shortening in the mixture, others by lard. Some say to sift the first flour, while others do not. Is there a better way to make a pie crust? Aside from the method, not really.

secret of a good pie crust

To make a good pie dough, the cook should always make sure that every ingredient and utensil is cold. Seeming strange? Not really. Heat makes the fat in the pastry bond with the gluten in the flour too quickly, so that the pie crust finishes hard, not soft and flaky. So put the bowl, fork and a pastry blender in the freezer for about 20 minutes or more before crushing. Use ice water as well. Some people keep their flour in the refrigerator, but the cook can still measure and put it in the bowl in the freezer.

A basic pie recipe starts with a cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 cup shortening, butter or lard and three tablespoons of ice water. Shortening to butter flavor is always a good choice for a pie crust. Stir flour and salt into medium bowl. Then use a pastry cutter to cut into the shortening until the mixture forms pieces of pea size.

Add about one tablespoon of water to the mixture and start gently working together in a paste. Add the water one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture cleans near the sides of the bowl. If more water than the original three tablespoons is needed, add one teaspoon at a time. Gather the dough into a ball.

If time permits, let the dough sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Preparing the pie dough early in the day and relaxing for several hours or all night is even better. This allows the fat to re-solidify, so that the gluten will not grow as much when the pie crust is deployed.

On a floured worktop, marble slab or waxed wax paper, turn the dough and flatten it with your hands in a round. Flour the rolling pin and start rolling the pie dough in a more or less round shape, until it is about two inches (5 cm) taller than the pie plate. Gently stir the dough into quarters and place it in the pie dish, with the point of the pie crust in the middle of the pan. Unfold the pie crust and gently tap into the bottom and sides of the pan. Cut the crust and flute with your fingers or fork, as desired.

Now comes another controversial question: a pre-cooking or not? Again, this is often a matter of personal preference. In addition to cooking tarts, the crust will probably cook through. With the reduction of cooking times, though, pre-cooking the crust can be a good idea.

When pre-cooking a pie dough, the cook should cover the edges with foil, since the pre-cooking time, with the main cooking, can burn the crust. The crust can be cooked in a hot oven - about 425 ° F (218 ° C) for about 12 minutes or until stained. Some cooks also swear by using some sort of crust pie crust, such as pearls or beans, during pre-cooking. They say this prevents the pie crust from narrowing away the sides of the pan.

In any case, when the crust is done, the cook can fill it with chocolate cream, coconut or filling with lemon, apples, berries or peaches for a delicious dessert. The filling can be carried out while the dough is resting, moreover. The delicious pie resulting with a flaky crust is always worth it.

• Ice water, which is used in making crust pie.
• Using very cold butter will contribute to the peeling of a pie crust.
• Most crust tart recipes use lard, shortening, or butter.
• Some people say that flour for a pie crust should be sifted before mixing the ingredients.