Martha Stewart’s Pate Brisee (Pie Dough)
Following a few simple rules, you can produce a flaky, tender crust every time:
Make sure the butter is very cold
Handle the dough as little as possible. Both the stretching of the dough and the warmth from your hands will further the development of gluten – long, stringy protein molecules that form when flour is blended with liquid – resulting in a tough dough that’s difficult to roll out.
Pressing the dough into a disk allows it to chill faster. This will make dough easier to roll out( into a perfect circle) and if you freeze it, it will thaw more quickly.
Chill the dough thoroughly (at least 30 minutes) before rolling it out, and use a minimum of flour to dust the rolling pin and work surface. Brush excess flour from the rolled dough with a dry pastry brush before transferring it to the pie plate.
For an extra-crispy piecrust with a golden color, brush the unbaked top crust with water and sprinkle with sugar
For a shiny piecrust, brush the unbaked top crust with an egg wash make from 1 egg and 2 tbsp cream.
Cut decorative vents in the top of a double-crust fruit pie; vents allow steam to escape and prevent the fruit juices from overflowing.
Use excess dough to cut out decorative shapes for top of pie. Any left over pie dough can be used to make delicious treats: cut into strips and braid, twist or knott then sprinkled with cinnamon/sugar mixture and baked or pinch the sides of a flat circle into a cup and drop a dollop of jam into the center to make a miniature tart. Bake for approx. 10 minutes until golden.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
Preparation
Step 1
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 times. To test, squeeze a small amount together; if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tbsp at a time.
Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month. Yield 1 double crust or 2 single crust 9-10” pies.