Crust

Basic Formula :

(2-crust pie)

110g - All purpose flour

1/8tsp - Salt

66g - Shortening

40ml - Water

(1-crust pie)

55g - All purpose flour

1/8tsp - Salt

33g Shortening

20ml - Water

Equipment :

miss-en-place

Method :

• Stir flour and salt together with a 4-tined fork. 

• Add shortening and cut in with a pastry blender until pieces are the size of uncooked rice grains. 

• Toss the flour mixture lightly with a fork while slowly adding the water. 

• After all of the water is added, stir approximately 10 strokes with the fork until the dough forms into a ball. 

• If making 2 crust, divide the dough into 2 balls of approximately equal size. 

• Roll one of the balls into a circle of dough 1/8 thick.

• Fold the rolled dough in quarters. Unfold in a 5" pie plate, adjusting to fit up the sides without stretching the dough. 

• For a 1-crust pie, trim 1/2" beyond the edge of the pie plate and flute the dough so that it rests on the lip of plate. 

• For a 2-crust pie, trim the dough of the bottom crust even with the edge of the pie plate. Roll the second crust in the same manner as the first.
  

• Fold this upper crust in quarters and set aside until the filling has been prepared and placed in the bottom crust. Unfold the second crust and adjust over the filling so that the edges extend beyond the lip of the pie plate.

• Trim the top crust 1/2" beyond the edge of the pie plate. Fold this extension under the bottom crust that is resting on the lip plate.

• With a paring knife, cut a design of slits each about 1/2" long in the centre region of the upper  crust.

• Bake in a preheated oven at 218C (425F) for approximately 20 minutes, until the crust is golden and the juice begins to bubble.

Chef Zaid given a task to each group. This are our group 3 experiment :

1. Treatments of the bottom crust - various techniques can be considered as possible solutions to the problem of a soaked crust.

(a) Hot filling (control) - Prepare pastry for a 2-crust pie and peach pie filling. Pour hot filling into bottom crust. Bake as in the basic formula

(b) Coat bottom crust with butter - Prepare pastry for 2-crust pie and peach filling. Pour hot peach filling. Brush soft butter all across the bottom crust to serve as a seal before adding the pie filling. Bake as in the basic formula.

(c) Brush with egg white - Prepare pastry for 2-crust pie and peach pie filling. Brush slightly beaten egg while foam on the surface of the bottom crust before adding the filling. Also, brush slightly-beaten egg white foam on the bottom side of the upper crust before it is placed on top of filling. Bake as in the basic formula.