Pie Crust

Submitted by June Shockley as seen on Italian Joe Blog.

Pie Crust

Ingredients:

Mix together in bowl then empty onto cold counter top

3 cups unbleached flour

1 t. salt

1 T. sugar

Next cut 2 sticks VERY cold butter into cubes

Throw cubes on top of flour mixture.  Using 2 bench scrapers start cutting the butter into the flour mixture.  Continue cutting butter into flour.  Pull flour from edges toward butter, always cutting and pulling in stray flour. Do this for a couple of minutes.  You’re trying to get the butter in between the flour.

Make a small pile with a well in the middle, like you would if you were making pasta.

In a small bowl beat 1 egg and add it to ¾ cup cold whole milk.  Dump about one half of the egg/milk mixture into well.  With a fork start incorporating the liquid into the flour just so it does not run all over.  When the liquid seems a little pasty then add the rest of the egg/milk mixture and continue to make a slight paste using the fork.  Continue to use bench scrapers to cut the egg/milk mixture and butter into the flour until it all seems equally incorporated.  It will look crumbly.  If too dry add a little egg, if too wet add a little more flour.  It is OK if it is slightly dry since the liquid will continue to dampen the flour mixture while it sits in the refrigerator.

Mush up the mixture with your hands to form a disk.  Slightly flatten and fold over once. TIP: this recipe makes enough for two pie crusts.  I like to divide the dough at this point so one disk makes one pie crust.  Sometimes you only need one crust and this way you can choose how much you want just in case you freeze the dough)  It will be easier to roll out dough later if you form a nice round disk about 1 1/2 inches thick. Wrap disk in saran wrap and place in frig for at least l hour.

This is enough for 2 pie crusts.  If you did not divide in half before then do so now.Roll out bottom crust.  Do not roll out other half yet.  Put that half back in frig. After bottom crust is in the pie pan, do not trim yet, refrigerate again for about 30 minues.   

If you are making a fruit pie, use an egg wash (egg mixed with a little milk) and paint bottom and sides of the unbaked crust.  Do NOT prick the bottom of the crust.  The egg wash will help to keep the bottom of the pie crust from getting soggy.  Fill pie with room temperature fruit filling.  Now take top crust out of frig and roll it out and place on top of pie.  Pinch together the top and bottom crust.  Put egg wash on top and sides.  You can sprinkle top crust with about 3 table spoons of sugar for a caramelized crust or I like to sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar if it is an apple, cherry, or blueberry pie.  If you do not like a caramelized crust use a light sprinkling of sugar.

Bake 375 degree oven.  Bake about  45 to 60 minutes.  (Apple pie may take longer, just poke apples with fork to see if they are tender.  It may take over 60 minutes.)  Check every 15 minutes, you may have to rotate if your oven has hot spots.

Let pie set for about 30 min. to cool…or longer.