Paste for Raised Pies
Ingredients
Directions
Combine lard and cold water in a saucepan.
Heat over low until boiling.
Place flour on a clean surface and make a well in the center.
Gradually pour the boiling lard and water mixture into the well.
Mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
Knead into a stiff paste.
Sprinkle flour to prevent sticking.
Shape into a smooth lump for use.
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
- All-purpose flour
- Forms the structure of the dough once combined with the liquid mixture.
- Lard
- Provides fat that tenderises the dough and keeps it flaky.
- Cold water
- Hydrates the flour and, heated with the lard, helps the dough come together.
The step that matters
Pouring the boiling lard and water mixture into the well. The mixture must be boiling when it meets the flour. Hot liquid partly cooks the starch and lets the dough stay pliable, while cooler liquid would give a crumbly, harder dough.
“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.
More pie dough recipes
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.