Pie Crust for One Pie
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 mixing bowl, combine the flour and lard until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Gradually add the cold water, mixing until the dough comes together.
Rest the dough
Form the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disk.
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
- All-purpose flour
- Provides the structure that holds the crust together once it is rolled and baked.
- Lard
- Coats flour particles to limit gluten formation, giving the crust a tender, flaky texture.
- Cold water
- Binds the flour and fat into a dough while keeping the fat solid for flakiness.
The step that matters
Keeping the water cold and the fat chilled. Cold water and cold lard stay in separate pockets, so the fat melts during baking and leaves flaky layers. Warm fat blends into the flour and makes the crust dense and tough.
“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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