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Editor's note:Use this pie dough to make Alice Water'sSierra Beauty Apple Pie.
I like the flavor of pie dough made with butter, but I sometimes like to include a few tablespoons of lard in the dough. The butter gives a lovely rich flavor and tenderness and the lard makes the dough crisper and flakier, and easier to handle. If you don't have good, fresh lard on hand, organic vegetable shortening will accomplish the same result. The butter and lard are cut and worked into smaller pieces in this dough creating a more tender pastry than the crisp gallette dough.
Ingredients
Makes two 10-ounce balls of dough, enough for 1 double-crusted pie or 2 single pie shells
Step 1
Have ready in a measuring cup:
6 tablespoons ice-cold waterStep 2
Mix together:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
A pinch of sugarStep 3
Add:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3 tablespoons chilled lardStep 4
Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, quickly work the butter and lard into the flour mixture until most of the fat has been broken into small pieces but there are still a few large flakes. Don't try to make the mixture look uniform.
Step 5
Dribble in the tablespoons of ice water, mixing and tossing the dough with a fork. Don't try to force the dough into a ball, just keep adding water until it starts to cling together in clumps. After all the water has been added, check for dry dough mixture in the bowl and add drops of water to moisten.
Step 6
Collect the dough and press it together into two balls. Shape the balls into plump cakes, making the edges as smooth as possible, and wrap in plastic. Press down on the plastic lightly to compress the dough. Refrigerate the dough for several hours before using to allow the gluten to relax and the flour to fully absorb the water. Dough may be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Leave a Review
Reviews (2)
Back to TopI loved the texture of this crust. Depending on the filling, I add similar flavor to the crust.
DoraiCooks
10/4/2022
Texture: perfect. Recipe followed as written, with one exception: I knocked the sugar up to a scant half-teaspoon. The flavor was perfect on a cherry pie. Will use this every time from now on.
Citroen2cv
Los Angeles, CA
7/12/2020