Pie Crust
Ingredients
Directions
Mix the flour, baking powder, and lard together.
Gradually add the cold water and mix until combined.
Roll out the dough to your desired thickness.
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 dough its structure.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas that gives the crust a little lift.
- Lard
- Coats flour particles and keeps the crust tender and flaky.
- Cold water
- Hydrates the flour so the dough holds together.
The step that matters
Adding the cold water. Add the water gradually and mix only until the dough just comes together. Overworking develops too much gluten, which makes the crust tough. Keeping the water cold helps the lard stay in small pieces, which creates flakiness during baking.
“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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