Carlas Pie Crust Recipes

CARLA'S CLASSIC PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Dissolve the sugar and salt in 1/3 cup water and chill until cold.
• Pulse the flour and butter in a stand mixer until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-size pieces. Add the water all at once and mix until the dough almost forms a ball. Divide the dough in half and flatten into two disks.
• Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.

CARLA'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• 1. PREPARE THE PIE CRUST. Combine the water, salt and sugar in a liquid measuring cup. Chill in fridge for at least 15 minutes or until salt and sugar are dissolved and water is "ice" cold. 2. In the meantime, place the flour in the bowl of a standing mixer. Toss the cold butter pieces in the flour to coat each piece. Place the bowl in the fridge, with the paddle attachment, until chilled - about 30 minutes. Chilling all the components insures that the butter will stay cold while being mixed, therefore making the crust flaky. 3. With the mixer on low, mix the flour and butter until the butter is broken down into the size of chickpeas. With the mixer still running, pour the water mixture in at once. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix until the dough comes together. (The mixture should have visible chunks of butter.) 4. Divide the dough into 10 even parts, form into discs and wrap each separately. Let the crust rest in the fridge while preparing the filling.

CARLA HALL'S PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt in the water. Refrigerate until very cold, about 30 minutes. During that time, refrigerate your butter, flour, mixer bowl, and paddle, too. Make sure your butter is cut into 1/2-inch dice. Bigger pieces will make your dough puffy. In the chilled bowl, combine the cold butter and flour. With your hands, toss the butter in the flour until each cube is lightly coated. With the chilled paddle, beat the flour-butter mixture on low speed to just break up the butter, about 30 seconds. Add the water mixture all at once and raise the speed to medium-low. Beat just until the dough comes together in big chunks, then immediately turn off the mixer. .Divide the chunks of dough in half and very gently pat each group into a round 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour, before rolling. You can refrigerate the disks for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months. Helpful Tips: 1. Make sure that all the ingredients are cold. 2. Mix with your fingertips, not your palms. Fingertips are cool, while your palms are hot. 3. When mixing the flour and butter, pick up some of the flour and butter, squeeze it, and drop it. 4. Make discs with the dough -- rather than a ball -- so that it is easier to flatten.