The Basic Short Crust
Instructions:
- The term “short†refers to the crust’s crispness (that is, it is not leavened or raised). A dash of vinegar makes it incredibly fl aky by cutting the fl our’s gluten chains. All our pies are designed for a 9-inch glass or metal pie plate. Be forewarned: you will overfi ll an 8-inch pie plate or shortchange a 10-inch one. Makes a single crust for a 9-inch pie (can be doubled for a top and bottom crust—see Note)
- 1 cup all-purpose fl our, plus additional for dusting
- 1â„2 teaspoon salt
- 1â„3 cup solid vegetable shortening
- 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
- 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
- 1â„2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Mix the fl our and salt in a medium bowl. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the shortening and butter in two equal additions, pressing the fat into the fl our through the tines and against the sides of the bowl. Keep scraping any dough off the cutter or fork. Continue pressing the mixture together until it resembles very coarse sand.
- Stir 2 tablespoons ice water and the vinegar in a small bowl or glass, then use a fork to stir this mixture into the flour mixture until well combined. Add more cold water, about 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture can be formed into a ball.
- Sprinkle a few drops of water over your work surface, then lay a large piece of wax paper on top (so the paper won’t scoot around while you roll out the crust). Dust the paper lightly with fl our. Gather the dough into a ball, turn it onto the paper, and dust lightly with fl our. Lay a second sheet of wax paper over the top and press down slightly until the ball of dough looks like a partially de- flated basketball.
- Roll the dough through the wax paper with a rolling pin, pressing down lightly and using an even, steady pressure until you have a circle 11 or 12 inches in diameter. To make an even circle, turn the pin in a new direction after each roll. If you’re not using the dough right away, leave it under the wax paper to stay moist; it can rest this way for 30 minutes.
- Peel off the top layer of wax paper, then pick up the dough by peeling the bottom sheet of wax paper off the work surface with the crust still attached. Invert the paper and the crust together over a 9-inch pie plate, center the crust in the plate, and peel off the wax paper.
- Press the crust gently into the pie plate with the excess hanging over the rim. If you’re making a single-crust pie (that is, a bottom crust only), run a knife around the plate’s outer rim and cut off any excess dough. If you’re making a double-crust pie, leave the dough hanging over the edge and cover the pie with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Proceed with the fi lling you’ve chosen.