Pie Crust
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, mix the lard and flour until fine. Add a pinch of salt.
Gradually add water to achieve a consistency suitable for rolling. Do not overwork the dough.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Lard
- Fat that coats flour particles, creating a tender, flaky texture in the crust.
- All-purpose flour
- Forms the structure of the crust once water is added and the dough is worked.
The step that matters
Do not overwork the dough. Working the dough develops gluten, which makes the crust tough and chewy instead of tender. Mixing only until the dough holds together keeps the fat in distinct pieces, which gives a flaky result.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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