Plain Pie Crust
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Make the dough
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt.
Cut in the lard until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Gradually add the ice water, mixing until the dough comes together.
Shape and chill
Divide the dough in half and shape into discs.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
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
- Flour
- Forms the gluten network that gives the crust its structure.
- Lard
- Coats flour particles and stays in pieces, creating tender, flaky layers.
- Ice water
- Moistens the flour so the dough binds while the lard stays cold and solid.
The step that matters
Cut in the lard until coarse crumbs. Leave pieces of lard pea-sized and visible. Overworking blends the fat into the flour and mixing too much develops gluten, which makes the crust tough instead of flaky.
“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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