Subject: Basic Pastry Dough
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Fri Mar 22 2002 - 19:37:51 EST
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F O O D F U N N Y
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Here's a true one courtesy of reader Clarence Calkins:
My grandfather planted peppers in our garden and then planted some in
his own garden about 45 miles away. Sometimes, differences in soil and
water will make a difference in heat of peppers. Anyway, Grandpa came
to visit and complained to Dad that the peppers weren't hot. Dad said
they were. Grandpa said there was something wrong with Dad's taste buds.
They argued for a few minutes and finally adjourned to the garden to
settle the discussion. They each picked a pepper and ate it. They were
hot! Of course, neither one would admit that it was burning their
mouth, so they stood there quietly and ate, until finally by mutual
consent they both went over and sampled the raspberries and strawberries.
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T O D A Y ' S R E C I P E
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Making tender and flaky pastry crust is challenge not many home bakers
have mastered, and even though the frozen pastry dough that is available
commercially is quite good, nothing beats a homemade crust on a homemade
pie. The following recipe makes enough dough for a single-crust 8- to
10-inch (20-25 cm) pie, and you can simply double the recipe for
double-crust pies. If you plan to use the crust with a savory filling
(as a quiche, for example), just omit the sugar. I have also included
instructions for pre baking the dough, as required in my recipe for
Fresh Strawberry Pie below.
Basic Pastry Dough
1 1/4 cup (310 ml) all-purpose flour, plus additional
for dusting the work surface
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
8 Tbs (1 stick, 120 ml) cold unsalted butter
2-4 Tbs (30-60 ml) ice water
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Cut the butter
into 8 to 12 pieces and add to the flour mixture. Pulse the food
processor until the flour and butter are blended and the mixture
resembles coarse cornmeal. Alternately, use a fork or pastry knife to
combine the flour and butter. Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the ice water
over the mixture and gather the mixture into a ball using a wooden spoon
or spatula. Add more water if necessary to form the dough into a ball.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and form into a thick disk about 4 inches
(10 cm) in diameter. Refrigerate the dough for 20 to 30 minutes. The
dough may also be refrigerated for several days at this point, or frozen
almost indefinitely. Unwrap the dough and roll it out on a floured
surface. Always place the rolling pin in the center of the dough and
roll towards the edges. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, dust the
top of the dough liberally with flour. Rotate and turn the dough over
occasionally as you roll it out. Place your pie plate on top of the
dough to determine when to stop rolling - it should be 1 to 2 inches
(3-5 cm) larger than the diameter of the plate. Carefully fold the dough
in quarters. Place the point of the folded dough in the center of the
plate and unfold carefully. Trim the excess dough to about 1/2 inch (1
cm) all around and tuck it under itself around the edges. Decorate the
edge with your fingers or the times of a fork. The dough is now ready to
be filled.
To pre bake the crust, butter a large piece of foil and place it
buttered side down in the dough. Fill the foil with rice, beans, or pie
weights. These may be reused for the same purpose in the future. Bake in
a preheated 425F (220C) oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven
and reduce the heat to 350F (180C). Carefully remove the foil and
weights and return the pie to the oven. Bake for an additional 10 to 15
minutes, until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Makes one
8- to 10-inch (20-25 cm) pie crust.
Fresh Strawberry Pie
6 cups (1.5 L) firm ripe strawberries
1 9-inch (23 cm) pastry pie crust, baked and cooled
1/2 cup (125 ml) plus 1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar
3 Tbs (45 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
2 Tbs (30 ml) cold water
1 Tbs (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
Pick over the berries carefully, removing the stems and hulls. Wash in a
sieve or colander under cold running water and place on paper towels to
drain. Pat the berries completely dry. Arrange half of them (the most
perfect ones) in the pie shell and set aside. Coarsely chop the
remaining berries and combine them with 1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar in a
stainless steel saucepan. Bring the berries to a simmer over moderate
heat, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch, water,
and lemon juice together to form a smooth paste. Pour the paste into the
strawberry mixture, stirring constantly, and continue to cook for 2 to 3
minutes, until the mixture thickens. Puree the strawberry mixture
through a fine mesh sieve, pressing down hard with a wooden spoon or
spatula to extract as much of the berries as possible before discarding
the seeds. Taste the puree and add more lemon juice or sugar, as
desired. Pour the puree over the berries and spread it evenly with a
rubber spatula. Cover the pie loosely with aluminum foil or wax paper
and refrigerate for at least two hours. Just before serving whip the
cream and 1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar until it is stiff. Spread on top of the
pie, making decorative swirls with the spatula and serve immediately.
Serves 6 to 8.
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