Anything particular to recommend, for a couple of single-crust, prebaked
shells, from scratch?

I usually have problems getting 1) the crust to lay flat, regardless of
pricking and loading with glass "stones", and 2) keeping it from melting
and slumping down the sides of the pans. Should I chill the dough,
before and/or after rolling and placing into the (glass) pans?

I was looking at a while series of "never fail" recipes at Cooks.com .
This looks like what I'm after, but if anyone has a better suggestion, I
have a few hours before I need to bake them!

Dave

NEVER FAIL PIE CRUST

4 c. flour
1 tbsp. sugar
Pinch salt
1 3/4 c. Crisco
1/2 c. cold water
1 egg
1 tbsp. vinegar

Combine flour, sugar, salt and Crisco. With pastry blender or two
knives, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine
cold water, egg and vinegar; sprinkle over flour mixture little at a
time until all flour is moistened. With hands, gather dough into a ball.
Cut in half; roll out.

Dave Bell wrote:
> Anything particular to recommend, for a couple of single-crust, prebaked
> shells, from scratch?
>
> I usually have problems getting 1) the crust to lay flat, regardless of
> pricking and loading with glass "stones", and 2) keeping it from melting
> and slumping down the sides of the pans. Should I chill the dough,
> before and/or after rolling and placing into the (glass) pans?
>
> I was looking at a while series of "never fail" recipes at Cooks.com .
> This looks like what I'm after, but if anyone has a better suggestion, I
> have a few hours before I need to bake them!
>
> Dave
>
> NEVER FAIL PIE CRUST
>
> 4 c. flour
> 1 tbsp. sugar
> Pinch salt
> 1 3/4 c. Crisco
> 1/2 c. cold water
> 1 egg
> 1 tbsp. vinegar
>
> Combine flour, sugar, salt and Crisco. With pastry blender or two
> knives, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine
> cold water, egg and vinegar; sprinkle over flour mixture little at a
> time until all flour is moistened. With hands, gather dough into a ball.
> Cut in half; roll out.
Yes- definitely chill before and after- your recipe is fine, but I like
to sub unsalted butter for about half of the Crisco as it has more
flavor.

On Wed, 22 Nov 2006 19:46:28 GMT, Dave Bell
> wrote:

>Anything particular to recommend, for a couple of single-crust, prebaked
>shells, from scratch?
>
>I usually have problems getting 1) the crust to lay flat, regardless of
>pricking and loading with glass "stones", and 2) keeping it from melting
>and slumping down the sides of the pans. Should I chill the dough,
>before and/or after rolling and placing into the (glass) pans?
>
>I was looking at a while series of "never fail" recipes at Cooks.com .
>This looks like what I'm after, but if anyone has a better suggestion, I
>have a few hours before I need to bake them!
>
>Dave
>
>NEVER FAIL PIE CRUST
>
>4 c. flour
>1 tbsp. sugar
>Pinch salt
>1 3/4 c. Crisco
>1/2 c. cold water
>1 egg
>1 tbsp. vinegar
>
>Combine flour, sugar, salt and Crisco. With pastry blender or two
>knives, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine
>cold water, egg and vinegar; sprinkle over flour mixture little at a
>time until all flour is moistened. With hands, gather dough into a ball.
>Cut in half; roll out.


I like this one from Cook's Illustrated.

Boron

Perfect Pie Crust
by Christopher Kimball

from Cook's Illustrated September/October 1994

The BEST Pie Dough

(9-inch single pie shell)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Mix flour, salt and sugar in bowl of food processor fitted with steel
blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour. Cut butter into flour with
five 1-second pulses. Add shortening and continue pulsing until flour
is pale yellow and resembles coarse corn meal, with butter bits no
larger than small peas, about 4 more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture
into medium bowl. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. With
blade of a 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 a 4-inch-wide
disk. Dust lightly with flour and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 30
minutes before rolling.

For 10-inch regular or 9-inch deep dish: add 1/4 cup flour and 2
tablespoons butter

For double crust 10-inch or deep dish: 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon
salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, 13 tablespoons butter, 7 tablespoons
shortening, 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

On Nov 22, 11:46 am, Dave Bell > wrote:
> Anything particular to recommend, for a couple of single-crust, prebaked
> shells, from scratch?
>
> I usually have problems getting 1) the crust to lay flat, regardless of
> pricking and loading with glass "stones", and 2) keeping it from melting
> and slumping down the sides of the pans. Should I chill the dough,
> before and/or after rolling and placing into the (glass) pans?
<snipped>

Chill the dough after it's in the pan, first for at least 1/2 hour in
the fridge, then at least 1/2 hour in the freezer. The first chill
rests the dough to relax the gluten and reduce shrinkage. The second
helps prevent slumping.

Cut your parchment liner to the size of the bottom of the dish plus 2
inches or so. Cut 1.5 inch deep ruffles all around the parchment. Place
parchment over frozen dough, weight with a single layer of pennies over
the bottom. The ruffles should be pressed against the sides to hold
them up.

Heat oven to 375 F, and start the shell in the top of the oven, to
quickly set the sides. Turn heat down to 350 when you put the pie in.

Bake 15-20 minutes until sides are firm, remove paper liner, bake 8-10
minutes more until bottom is lightly browned.

Fran

On 28 Nov 2006 14:26:22 -0800, "Fran Guidry" >
wrote:

>On Nov 22, 11:46 am, Dave Bell > wrote:
>> Anything particular to recommend, for a couple of single-crust, prebaked
>> shells, from scratch?
>>
>> I usually have problems getting 1) the crust to lay flat, regardless of
>> pricking and loading with glass "stones", and 2) keeping it from melting
>> and slumping down the sides of the pans. Should I chill the dough,
>> before and/or after rolling and placing into the (glass) pans?
><snipped>
>
>Chill the dough after it's in the pan, first for at least 1/2 hour in
>the fridge, then at least 1/2 hour in the freezer. The first chill
>rests the dough to relax the gluten and reduce shrinkage. The second
>helps prevent slumping.
>
>Cut your parchment liner to the size of the bottom of the dish plus 2
>inches or so. Cut 1.5 inch deep ruffles all around the parchment. Place
>parchment over frozen dough, weight with a single layer of pennies over
>the bottom. The ruffles should be pressed against the sides to hold
>them up.
>
>Heat oven to 375 F, and start the shell in the top of the oven, to
>quickly set the sides. Turn heat down to 350 when you put the pie in.
>
>Bake 15-20 minutes until sides are firm, remove paper liner, bake 8-10
>minutes more until bottom is lightly browned.
>
>Fran


I use a different method that is simpler (for me) and works well.
Since I always make deep dish pies, there was more of a chance for the
crust to shrink down the sides and it drove me nuts.

So I make the pastry the night before and when it is time to make the
pie, roll it out as soon as it is pliable. I crimp it higher than I
would for a pie that is baked with its filling, allowing maybe 3/4 -1"
above the edge of the plate.

Once in the plate, I dock it all over, then take a piece of aluminum
foil, spray one side of it with Pam or its equivalent, press the foil
into the crust and put in the pie weights (rice, beans, aluminum
drops, beads, pennies, whatever you prefer), spreading them out all
over.

After 10 or 15 minutes in the oven, I remove the foil with the weights
and bake until browned.


Boron

Oh pshaw, on Wed 29 Nov 2006 08:10:53a, Boron Elgar meant to say...

> On 28 Nov 2006 14:26:22 -0800, "Fran Guidry" >
> wrote:
>
>>On Nov 22, 11:46 am, Dave Bell > wrote:
>>> Anything particular to recommend, for a couple of single-crust,
prebaked
>>> shells, from scratch?
>>>
>>> I usually have problems getting 1) the crust to lay flat, regardless of
>>> pricking and loading with glass "stones", and 2) keeping it from
melting
>>> and slumping down the sides of the pans. Should I chill the dough,
>>> before and/or after rolling and placing into the (glass) pans?
>><snipped>
>>
>>Chill the dough after it's in the pan, first for at least 1/2 hour in
>>the fridge, then at least 1/2 hour in the freezer. The first chill
>>rests the dough to relax the gluten and reduce shrinkage. The second
>>helps prevent slumping.
>>
>>Cut your parchment liner to the size of the bottom of the dish plus 2
>>inches or so. Cut 1.5 inch deep ruffles all around the parchment. Place
>>parchment over frozen dough, weight with a single layer of pennies over
>>the bottom. The ruffles should be pressed against the sides to hold
>>them up.
>>
>>Heat oven to 375 F, and start the shell in the top of the oven, to
>>quickly set the sides. Turn heat down to 350 when you put the pie in.
>>
>>Bake 15-20 minutes until sides are firm, remove paper liner, bake 8-10
>>minutes more until bottom is lightly browned.
>>
>>Fran
>
>
> I use a different method that is simpler (for me) and works well.
> Since I always make deep dish pies, there was more of a chance for the
> crust to shrink down the sides and it drove me nuts.
>
> So I make the pastry the night before and when it is time to make the
> pie, roll it out as soon as it is pliable. I crimp it higher than I
> would for a pie that is baked with its filling, allowing maybe 3/4 -1"
> above the edge of the plate.
>
> Once in the plate, I dock it all over, then take a piece of aluminum
> foil, spray one side of it with Pam or its equivalent, press the foil
> into the crust and put in the pie weights (rice, beans, aluminum
> drops, beads, pennies, whatever you prefer), spreading them out all
> over.
>
> After 10 or 15 minutes in the oven, I remove the foil with the weights
> and bake until browned.
>
>
> Boron
>
>

Sounds like my method, Boron, and it definitely works!

--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

All it takes to write a trilogy is complete
ignorance of life and art.