Perfect Pie Crust
Ingredients
2 cups
flour
¾ tsp.
kosher salt
- zest of ½ lemon
3 tbsp.
shortening
½ cup (1 stick)
Kowalski's Unsalted Butter, cold, cubed
½ cup (approx.)
ice water
1
egg yolk
1 tbsp.
freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and zest.
- Add flour mixture and shortening to a food processor; pulse just until combined.
- Toss in butter cubes; pulse crust mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with chunks of butter remaining. Pour crumbs back into mixing bowl; set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together ice water, yolk and juice.
- Add egg mixture to crumb mixture 1 tbsp. at a time, tossing crumbs with a fork. Stop adding liquid when you can take a small piece of the mixture between your hands and lightly squeeze it together; it should neither fall apart nor stick to your hands.
- Lay out 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pour crust mixture onto plastic wrap in 2 equal piles (mixture will still be fairly loose).
- Pull the opposite ends of one piece of plastic wrap together, squeezing the crust mixture together to form a ball; continuing squeezing until all of the crumbs are stuck together. Repeat with second pile.
- Gently knead doughs to form 2 smooth, round balls; flatten slightly into disc shapes and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use (at least 30 min. up to 1 week) or freeze tightly wrapped dough for up to 3 months.
- To use frozen dough, thaw wrapped dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling and baking according to your recipe.
