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Flaky Pie Pastry
This pie dough packs in a generous amount of butter, resulting in rich flavor, but remains workable and holds its shape when baked without a filling. One of the tricks is incorporating the butter in two stages. First, about a third is processed into the dry ingredients until very well combined, then the remainder is pulsed in until the pieces are reduced to pea-sized pieces. This ensures good integration of fat for better workability and tenderness, but leaves enough bits for flaky layers in the baked pastry. After emptying the dough mixture onto the counter, we form it into a rectangle that we cut into thirds, then stack the pieces on top of each other. This builds layers for even more flakiness. A metal bench scraper is a handy tool when working with the dough, but a wide metal spatula works, too. For prebaking, you will need to line the dough-lined pie plate with foil and fill it with pie weights. Ceramic or metal weights work best. Otherwise, use at least 2 cups dried beans or rice, and plan to bake on the longer end of the time ranges. This dough can be doubled for a double-crust pie or to make enough dough for two 9-inch single-crust pies; see the instructions below.
Makes one
9-inch pie shell
Don’t cut the butter into small pieces. Kept in 1-tablespoon chunks, the butter still will be pebbly at the end of processing, not fine and fully incorporated, which is essential for flakiness. Also, be sure the butter is completely cold and firm before you begin, so keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use. Finally, after fitting the dough into the pie plate, be sure to poke holes in it with a fork, then freeze for at least one hour. This not only will help the pastry hold its shape during prebaking, it also will allow you to easily line the dough with the foil without marring the surface, sides and edge.
3 hours
40 minutes active
Ingredients
-
163
grams (1¼ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
-
1
tablespoon white sugar
Directions
-
01In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt; pulse 3 or 4 times to combine. Scatter 3 tablespoons butter over the flour and process until well incorporated, 10 to 15 seconds. Scatter the remaining butter over the mixture and lock the lid in place. Through the feed tube, add 1 tablespoon ice water and quickly pulse 2 times. Repeat with another 1 tablespoon ice water, quickly pulsing another 2 times. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons ice water, then pulse until the mixture is evenly moistened, has a curdy appearance and the butter is broken down into pea-sized bits, about 10 pulses; the mixture will not have formed a cohesive dough. Pinch a small amount between your fingers; it should hold together.