This single-crust food processor pie dough is wonderfully versatile: I use it for at least 75% of the sweet and savory pies I make. It has great flavor and a flaky texture; it’s easy to handle; and it freezes well.
Once you’re comfortable making this dough with all butter, I encourage you to try this variation using shortening or lard, which will make the dough more tender and less prone to shrinkage. Instead of 10 tablespoons (1¼ stick) butter, use 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold, cubed unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening or lard in small pieces.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes one 9- to 9½-inch standard or deep-dish pie shell
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Scatter the fat on a large flour-dusted plate. Measure the vinegar into a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Add just enough cold water to equal a scant ⅓ cup. Refrigerate everything for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 2
Transfer the dry ingredients to a food processor. Add all of the fat, then pulse the machine six or seven times, until the pieces of fat are roughly the size of small peas.
Step 3
Pour the vinegar-water mixture through the feed tube in a 7- or 8-second stream, pulsing the machine as you add it. Stop pulsing when the mixture is just starting to form larger clumps.
Step 4
Turn the dough out onto your work surface and pack it into a ball. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Wrap the disk and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling.
