County Fair Master Pie Pastry

Source: Baker Boulanger

If you want a dough that is a joy to work with, this one-egg pastry is a must. The recipe yields a large batch of easy-to-work with pie dough - flaky but trouble free rolling and handling. Lemon juice tenderizes the dough, and the inclusion of an egg adds color, flavor, and assists with browning. You can use all vegetable shortening or for more flavor, retain the 1/2 cup unsalted butter called for in the recipe. This is a good pastry option for almost any filling but especially recommended for wetter ones. Make this by hand or in a large capacity food processor. I keep the vegetable shortening intended for pie-making, in my freezer. I keep scraps (in freezer) for quiche or single crust pie making.

Makes enough dough for two 9-inch double pie crusts plus one 8-9 inch single crust pie

4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup (8 ounces) vegetable shortening, very cold
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, very cold
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup ice water

By hand: Place flour in a large mixing bowl. Cut in shortening and butter until mixture is crumbly - a not so even mixture of little and larger lumps of flour covered fat. Stir together egg, sugar, and salt, and lemon juice. Make a well in centre of flour mixture and stir in egg mixture and drizzle in most of ice water. Using a fork or fingers, toss mixture together to moisten flour. Stir to make a soft mass and pat into a dough. Add remaining (or additional) ice water as required to make sure dough sticks together.

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead very briefly into a smooth dough. Divide dough in half and place in a zip lock freezer bag (labelling each portion) and refrigerate at least an hour (if using immediately) or refrigerate up to three days or freeze up to three months. To defrost, leave in fridge overnight, or leave on counter about two hours, or microwave on high for 45-90 seconds (check to see dough is not getting too soft - just defrosting).

Food processor: This recipe requires a large capacity food processor. Place flour, sugar, and salt in bowl of food processor. Add in butter and shortening chunks and pulse until fat is coarsely dispersed into flour. Stop machine, remove cover and sprinkle on most of water, lemon juice and egg. Pulse to make a rough mass or dough. Alternatively, remove flour/fat mixture from machine and place in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and stir in water, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and egg. Toss with fingers or fork to make a soft mass. Place on a lightly floured work surface and shape into a smooth dough.

Remove from machine and shape or smooth into dough on a lightly floured work surface. Divide dough in half and place in a zip lock freezer bag (labelling each portion) and refrigerate at least an hour (if using immediately) or refrigerate up to three days or freeze up to three months. To defrost, leave in fridge overnight, or leave on counter about two hours, or microwave on high for 45-90 seconds (check to see dough is not getting too soft - just defrosting).