Pie and Pastry Bible (10 page)

PASTRY FOR A TWO-CRUST 9-INCH PIE	MAKES: 22 OUNCES/624 GRAMS
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
For savory recipes, use 1½ times the salt.
unsalted butter, cold	12 tablespoons	6 ounces	170 grams
pastry flour or bleached all-purpose flour	2 cups + 3 tablespoons 2 cups (dip and sweep method)	10 ounces	284 grams
salt	¼ teaspoon	•	•
baking powder	¼ teaspoon	•	•
cream cheese, cold	1½ 3-ounce packages	4.5 ounces	128 grams
ice water	2 tablespoons	1 ounce	28 grams
cider vinegar	1 tablespoon	0.5 ounce	14 grams

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD

Cut the butter into small (about ¾-inch) cubes. Wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it until frozen solid, at least 30 minutes. Place the flour, salt, and baking powder in a reclosable gallon-size freezer bag and freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Place the flour mixture in a food processor with the metal blade and process for a few seconds to combine. Set the bag aside.

Cut the cream cheese into 3 or 4 pieces and add it to the flour. Process for about 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the frozen butter
cubes and pulse until none of the butter is larger than the size of a pea. (Toss with a fork to see it better.) Remove the cover and add the water and vinegar. Pulse until most of the butter is reduced to the size of small peas. The mixture will be in particles and will not hold together. Spoon it into the plastic bag. (For a double-crust pie, it is easiest to divide the mixture in half at this point.)

Holding both ends of the bag opening with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag, with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.

Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, flatten it into a disc (or discs), and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight. (For a pie shell and lattice, divide it in a ratio of two thirds : one third—use about 9.5 ounces for the shell and the rest for the lattice, flattening the smaller part into a rectangle.)

HAND METHOD

Place a medium mixing bowl in the freezer to chill.

Cut the butter into small (about ¾-inch) cubes. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

Place the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cream cheese and rub the mixture between your fingers to blend the cream cheese into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Spoon the mixture, together with the cold butter, into a reclosable gallon-size freezer bag. Expel any air from the bag and close it. Use a rolling pin to flatten the butter into thin flakes. Place the bag in the freezer for at least 10 minutes or until the butter is very firm.

Transfer the mixture to the chilled bowl, scraping the sides of the bag. Set the bag aside. Sprinkle the mixture with the water and vinegar, tossing lightly with a rubber spatula. Spoon it into the plastic bag. (For a two-crust pie, it is easiest to divide the mixture in half at this point.)

Holding both ends of the bag opening with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag, with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.

Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, flatten it into a disc (or discs), and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight. (For a pie shell and lattice, divide it in a ratio of two thirds : one third—use about 9.5 ounces for the shell and the rest for the lattice, flattening the smaller part into a rectangle.)

VARIATION

MASCARPONE CHEESE CRUST
An equal weight of mascarpone cheese can be substituted for the cream cheese, but omit the vinegar and use bleached all-purpose flour, not pastry flour, or the crust will be too tender.

STORE

Refrigerated, up to 2 days; frozen, up to 3 months.

UNDERSTANDING

A classic cream cheese crust contains no water and is more tender than an allbutter crust but not at all flaky. I have found it to be so tender it is impossible to use for a lattice top and the bottom crust often develops cracks through which a filling will leak and stick to the bottom of the pan. Very little water is needed, because the cream cheese contains 51 percent water. The addition of a small amount of water connects the two gluten-forming proteins in the flour, producing the rubbery, stretchy gluten that strengthens the structure just enough to prevent cracking when the crust bakes. This pie crust does not shrink or distort as much as an all-butter crust because there is less development of gluten. The acidity of the vinegar weakens the gluten that forms, making the crust still more tender and less likely to shrink. If desired, it can be replaced with water.

Cream cheese is 51 percent water and 37.7 percent fat, so 3 ounces contain 1.53 ounces (about 3 tablespoons) of water and 1.13 ounces of fat. That means that the pie crust with 6.5 ounces of flour contains the equivalent of about 4½ tablespoons of water. Compared to the all-butter crust, this crust has about 1 tablespoon more water, 1.13 ounces more fat, and 0.34 ounce more milk solids. The extra fat in the cream cheese coats some of the proteins in the flour, limiting the development of gluten, which would make it tougher. The milk solids add both flavor and smoothness of texture.

The baking powder lifts and aerates the dough slightly without weakening it, but it also makes it seem more tender.

In developing this recipe, I found that if not using the vinegar and baking powder to tenderize the crust, it is advisable to add one quarter of the butter together with the cream cheese when using all-purpose flour. This helps to moisture-proof it but, of course, takes away a little from the flakiness, as there is less butter available to add in larger pieces to create the layers.

FLAKY WHOLE WHEAT CREAM CHEESE PIE CRUST

T
his variation, ideal for savory pies, possesses all of the virtues of Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust (page 29), enhanced by the wheaty flavor and slight crunch of whole wheat flour. Because the addition of whole wheat flour makes the dough a little more tender, be sure to knead it a little more, until you can feel a stretchy quality when you pull it.

If using this crust with a sweet filling (not my preference), use two thirds the salt.

PASTRY FOR A 9-INCH PIE SHELL OR A 9½- TO 10-INCH BY 1-INCH TART SHELL	MAKES: 11 OUNCES/312 GRAMS
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
unsalted butter, cold	6 tablespoons	3 ounces	85 grams
bleached all-purpose flour	cup (dip and sweep method)	3.25 ounces	92 grams
whole wheat flour, preferably stone-ground	cup (dip and sweep method)	1.7 ounces	48 grams
salt	teaspoon + a pinch	•	•
optional; baking powder (if not using, double the salt)	teaspoon	•	•
cream cheese, cold	¼ cup	2.25 ounces	64 grams
ice water	1 tablespoon	0.5 ounce	14 grams
cider vinegar	1½ teaspoons	0.25 ounce	7 grams