Best Pie Crust Ever

I must admit that I scoffed when I first read the title of this pie crust recipe. “The Best Pie Crust Ever?” Please. And it’s quick? Please.

I was reluctant to try it. Two pounds of butter, two pounds of flour? Sure, I know that pie crust freezes well, and as a blue-blooded, card-carrying Costco member, I’m all about doing things in bulk. I just couldn’t wrap my head around this recipe. So I sat on it. And sat on it. And sat on it some more. Until, I had 50 pounds of peaches that were quickly getting overripe in my house. We canned some, we ate some. We made pie.

So, it is with that backstory that I must declare that YES: This is the Best. Pie. Crust. EVER. It was super easy. It was super fast. It was super delicious. It was so flakey and tender, and it puffed when I baked it. I was surprised.

I followed the original recipe exactly. You should go to her blog, it has pictures of the dough progress:
http://confectionsofamasterbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/celebrate-independence-with-best-pie.html

Quick Puff:
2 pounds of all-purpose flour (approximately 7 1/2 cups)
2 pounds cold unsalted butter (8 sticks) cut into small pieces (I actually used salted butter)
1 1/4 cups cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl (very large bowl), combine flour, salt, and butter. Work the butter (with your fingers into the flour until the butter pieces are the size of large grapes. Add the water (all of it) and mix it all together with your hands. Keep mixing the dough with your hands until it sticks together. It will be pretty shaggy. Dump the dough onto a floured surface, and make a square-ish shape. Then, fold the top and bottom over into a tri-fold, like you would a letter. (again, pictures are found here: http://confectionsofamasterbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/celebrate-independence-with-best-pie.html) Turn it and roll it until it’s thinner. Then do another tri-fold. And then roll it again. You will repeat that process until you have turned and rolled a total of 4 times.

Gesine says that it makes enough crust for 2-double crusted 9-inch pies. I divided my dough into 5 approximately equal sections and froze most of them. I will use them for 9-inch pies later. To use the peaches, though, I divided a section into three pieces and made a free-form type of pie. Cutting into the uncooked pastry dough was fascinating! You could see the layers of butter and flour. These layers contribute to the puffiness when you bake the dough.

Don’t be afraid. This is really easy and really fun.

-Chemist Cuisinier, PhD.