Pate Brisée Pie Crust
Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021
Buttery, light, and flaky, this is my favorite pie crust for fruit pies or savory meat pies. For novices to making pie crust, it might take a couple of tries before you perfect your method, but the result is more than worth it! I highly recommend this video tutorial as a place to begin your journey to perfecting your own pie crust: https://www.joyofbaking.com/PieCrust.html
Pate Brisée Pie Crust
2- 9 inch crusts
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups (320 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt (if using salted butter reduce salt to ½ tsp.)
less than ½ cup (120 milliliters) ice water + 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup (225 grams) very cold unsalted butter (2 sticks); cut into ½ inch cubes and freeze for a few minutes
Preparation:
In a medium bowl or food processor, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt; set aside.
In a measuring cup or a small bowl, combine the cold water and vinegar; set aside.
If using a food processor, evenly distribute the cubes of chilled butter over the flour and pulse 15-20 times to incorporate the butter with the flour. If not using a food processor, gently toss the chilled butter in the flour mixture until coated, then use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour. (You should have pieces of butter that range from sandy patches to pea-size chunks, with some larger bits as well.)
Drizzle in about a quarter cup of the ice water mixture and stir lightly with a fork, or pulse in the food processor until the flour is evenly moistened and the dough starts to come together. If the dough seems dry, add a little more ice water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. The dough will still look a bit shaggy at this point. If you grab a small piece of dough and press it slightly with your hand, it should mostly hold together. (Note: the Joy of Baking video is very helpful here.)
Dump the dough out onto an unfloured work surface and gather it together into a tight mound. Using the heel of your hand, smear the dough a little at a time, pushing it away from you and working your way down the mass of dough to create flat layers of flour and butter. Gather the dough back together with a bench scraper, layering the clumps of dough on top of one another.
Repeat the process once or twice more; the dough should still have some big pieces of butter visible. Do not overwork the dough or it will be tough.
Cut the dough in half. Shape each piece into a disk and flatten each to about a 5 inch round. Wrap the disks in plastic and put them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight, to rest.
Remove the dough from the fridge about 20 minutes before rolling out.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a scant 1/8 inch thickness, rotating the disk as you roll the dough to achieve a uniform thickness throughout.
The dough can be stored for 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer. If making the dough in advance to freeze: Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper, then carefully roll it up in the parchment. Write the date on the parchment and pop it into the freezer to firm up, about 30 minutes. Then wrap the crust securely in plastic wrap. Defrost the dough in the refrigerator overnight or thaw it on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes before using.
*Note: If you are a novice pie crust maker, I highly recommend viewing the two videos below before you make your pie crust.
https://www.joyofbaking.com/PieCrust.html
https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/how-to/article/never-mess-up-pie-crust
Also for method see: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-perfectly-flaky-pie-crust-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-191896
https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/science-of-pie-7-myths-that-need-to-go-away.html