Grandpa Joe's favorite
Pie Crust

This recipe is straight from Alton Brown, another of my favorite celebrity chefs.

About this recipe

Television personality and chef extraordinaire Alton Brown teaches that butter in pie crust is necessary for flavor, but lard is required for flakiness.  Using both creates the best of both worlds.  I have used this recipe for years, and although pastries are far from my specialty, the result always has been excellent.

I have modified his procedures somewhat, but I have not touched his ingredients list.  For the best results, however, no substitutions are allowed (sorry, but Crisco is not a substitute for lard here), and all ingredients must be weighed!  Trust me on this, and you won't be disappointed.

NOTE (added January 2017):  I discovered recently that fruit tart shells are made traditionally using an identical technique to this one, except only butter is used (four ounces instead of three, and no lard). The French (and likely most chefs) call this all butter crust a Pâte Brisée!

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces unsalted butter, chilled
  • 1 ounce lard, chilled
  • 6 ounces all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • 2 ounces ice water

Directions

  1. Cut the butter and lard into one-half inch cubes.  Then place both in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, butter, and lard by pulsing several times until the texture looks mealy.
  3. Add the water while pulsing another 5 to 6 times.
  4. Place the mixture in a plastic bag.  Squeeze the bag until the dough forms a ball.  Then press it into a rounded disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. Place 2 metal pie pans in the refrigerator to chill.
  6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator.  Place a sheet of waxed paper on a work surface and dust lightly with flour.  Place the dough on the floured paper.  Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour and cover with another sheet of waxed paper.
  7. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 10 to 11-inch circle.  (See Notes)
  8. Remove the pie pans from the refrigerator and set the first pan on top of the dough.  Turn everything upside down and peel the waxed paper from the bottom of the dough.  Place the second pan upside down on top of the dough and flip again.  Remove the first pan from atop dough.  Trim the edges if necessary. 
  9. Place in the  refrigerator for 15 minutes before using.
Pie Crust.

Notes

  • It helps to flip the dough (paper and all) one or two times during the roll-out process.  It also helps to dust the dough lightly with more flour and additional time or two.  Remove the top paper, dust the dough and return the paper.  Then flip and dust the other side.
  • For pie shells, bake the dough in a preheated 425° F oven for about 15 minutes. 
  • Filled pies should be cooked in a preheated 400° F oven for about 50 minutes.
Posted: May 2014.