Julia Child's Pastry Dough (Pie Crust)
Julia Child's Pastry Dough
One thing that I don’t make, is pastry dough. I don’t love making it and when you have to account for weather, too much is out of control. Even the French agree somewhat, though every good French mother has taught her children to make pie crust (guys and girls alike make killer crusts!), but the pastry dough section, yes section, at even the smallest grocery stores in France have 4+ options. Sugary, savory, flaky, really flaky, chcolate. It’s incredible. So I buy my crust… the horror! But if you want to make your own, here is Julia Child’s take, it’s my go to recipe when I need to whip one up! Psst, you can add some sugar for a sweeter, dessert crust! It makes two crusts, so double the filling portion of the pumpkin pie recipe if you want to make two pies, more for all!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced, chilled
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 cup very cold water
Directions
In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the flours and salt. (If you don’t have cake flour, you can substitute all-purpose flour.)
Pulse once or twice to blend. Add the butter and shortening and pulse five or six times to cut the fat into the flour. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
Combine the vinegar with the cold water.
With the processor running continuously, pour the liquid down the feed tube all at once. As soon as the dough begins to form a ball around the blade, stop the machine.
Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface and dump out the dough onto the plastic, scraping the bowl and the blade with a rubber spatula.
Pat the dough into a ball, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
Makes two, 9-inch pie crusts.