The solution: The most controversial ingredient in pastry is fat. We've found that all-butter crusts have good taste, but they are not as flaky and fine-textured as those made with some shortening. All-shortening crusts have great texture but lack flavor; oil-based crusts are flat and entirely unappealing. We've experimented with a variety of combinations and ultimately settled on a proportion of three parts butter to two parts shortening as optimal for both flavor and texture. We also settled on a ratio of two parts flour to one part fat, which results in a relatively high-fat crust. But we found that the two-to-one proportion produces crusts that are easy to work and, when baked, are more tender and flavorful than any other. You can make a pie dough by hand, but the food processor is faster and easier and does the best job of cutting the fat into the flour. Proper mixing is important: If you undermix, the crusts will shrink when baked and become hard and crackly. If you overprocess, you'll get a crumbly cookie-like dough.

For good measure: This dough is easy to roll if you follow a few basic guidelines. Flour the work surface very lightly; too much flour will be absorbed by the dough and cause it to toughen. If the dough seems too soft to roll, refrigerate it rather than adding more flour.

THE BEST PIE DOUGH

For an 8- or 9-inch single pie shell

To cut the butter into small bits, halve the stick of butter lengthwise with a large knife, rotate the stick ninety degrees, and cut again. Then cut the stick, crosswise into one-quarter-inch-pieces. Dough should be rolled about one-eighth-inch thick (about the thickness of two quarters).

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 tablespoons chilled all-vegetable shortening
3–4 tablespoons ice water

1. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with a little of flour. Cut butter into flour with five 1-second pulses. Add shortening and continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal with butter bits no larger than small peas, about four more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of ice water over mixture. With blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon more ice water if dough will not come together. Shape dough into ball with your hands, then flatten into 4-inch-wide disc. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling.

For a 10-inch regular or a 9-inch deep-dish single pie shell, follow recipe for The Best Pie Dough, increasing flour by 1/4 cup and butter by 2 tablespoons.

For a double-crust 8- or 9-inch pie, follow recipe for The Best Pie Dough, increasing flour to 2 1/4 cups, salt to 1 teaspoon, sugar to 2 tablespoons, butter to 11 tablespoons, shortening to 7 tablespoons, and ice water to 4 to 5 tablespoons. Divide dough into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other, before shaping into discs.

For a double-crust 10-inch regular or double-crust 9-inch deep-dish pie, follow above variation, increasing flour by 1/4 cup and butter by 2 tablespoons.

September, 1994
Original article and recipes by Christopher Kimball

 
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