100 year old pie crust recipe
This is my go to pie crust recipe. For years I suffered from pie crust fail. I assumed that you needed a special gene to be able to make a decent pie crust. I accepted my failure in this area until Ida Bailey Allen gave me this one. Its fool proof. It doesn't call for refrigeration or ice water. I've posted this recipe before but after using it many times I've decided to post some extra info that I left out the first time because I hadn't tried it. I only post recipes on this site that I have had success with in my own kitchen.
2 1/2 cups pastry flour (I've used all purpose and it works just fine)
1 cup Butter or lard or solidified vegetable fat (I prefer butter for the taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
about 2/3 cup cold water (the colder, the better, of course)
Mix together your salt and flour. Using a pastry cutter (or a fork if you don't have a pastry cutter) Cut your fat into the flour finely.
Add your water a little bit at a time. You probably wont use it all (but some days you might)
Mix until you have a firm ball of dough. Do not knead.
This recipe makes enough dough for two 9 inch pies or about 8 fist sized Cornish pies.
I love Ida! She didn't live in a time when there was a grocery store every 10 blocks. So her recipes can be modified to use what you have in the kitchen. That said, if you want to make this crust and all you have is vegetable oil or some bacon fat (tastes great in the Cornish pies) Use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup. It wont be as flakey as butter but it will work!
If you are roughing it or just using your dutch oven this works well. There is enough fat in the dough to keep it from burning.
This is my go to pie crust recipe. For years I suffered from pie crust fail. I assumed that you needed a special gene to be able to make a decent pie crust. I accepted my failure in this area until Ida Bailey Allen gave me this one. Its fool proof. It doesn't call for refrigeration or ice water. I've posted this recipe before but after using it many times I've decided to post some extra info that I left out the first time because I hadn't tried it. I only post recipes on this site that I have had success with in my own kitchen.
2 1/2 cups pastry flour (I've used all purpose and it works just fine)
1 cup Butter or lard or solidified vegetable fat (I prefer butter for the taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
about 2/3 cup cold water (the colder, the better, of course)
Mix together your salt and flour. Using a pastry cutter (or a fork if you don't have a pastry cutter) Cut your fat into the flour finely.
Add your water a little bit at a time. You probably wont use it all (but some days you might)
Mix until you have a firm ball of dough. Do not knead.
This recipe makes enough dough for two 9 inch pies or about 8 fist sized Cornish pies.
I love Ida! She didn't live in a time when there was a grocery store every 10 blocks. So her recipes can be modified to use what you have in the kitchen. That said, if you want to make this crust and all you have is vegetable oil or some bacon fat (tastes great in the Cornish pies) Use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup. It wont be as flakey as butter but it will work!
If you are roughing it or just using your dutch oven this works well. There is enough fat in the dough to keep it from burning.
