Pie Crust
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the dough
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
Add bacon fat and enough cold water to form a stiff dough without kneading.
Roll out the dough to a thin, even sheet using a rolling pin.
Shape and bake
Line the inside of a pie pan with the rolled dough, leaving enough for a top crust.
Cut a hole in the center of the top crust.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for one hour.
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 main structure of the dough once mixed with liquid.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the oven, helping the crust rise and turn light.
- Bacon fat
- Shortens the dough, keeping it tender and flaky rather than tough.
- Cold water
- Binds the flour and fat into a dough that holds together when rolled.
The step that matters
Adding the cold water. Too much water makes the dough tough and sticky, while too little leaves it crumbly. Adding just enough cold water keeps the fat in small pieces, which gives a tender, flaky crust.
“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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