Time-saving Pie-crust
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the mixture
In a bowl, rub together lard, flour, and salt until thoroughly mixed.
Store the mixture in a cold place until ready to use.
Make the dough
When making a pie, take 1 cup of the mixture and add just enough cold water to form a dough, about 1 teaspoon.
Add water a few drops at a time, then roll out the dough.
Top crust
For the top crust, sprinkle a little of the dry mixture to make it flaky.
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
- Lard
- Coats the flour particles, limiting gluten and creating flaky layers as it melts in the oven.
- All-purpose flour
- Forms the structure of the crust once hydrated with water.
The step that matters
Add water a few drops at a time. Too much water makes the dough sticky and encourages gluten to develop, which toughens the crust. Adding water gradually lets you stop once the dough just holds together.
“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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