Page 45 - United States of Pie

Blend with your fingertips, as quickly as possible, pulling the mixture
together and creating a dough. The dough will become less sticky
and more of a mass when enough water has been added. Finally,

knead the dough minimally in the bowl to make sure it has just
enough moisture.
Divide the dough in half. (One mound of dough should weigh
approximately 11 ounces.) Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap
and seal it. Gently form each one into a disk roughly ¾-inch thick.
Place the wrapped dough in the refrigerator and leave it for at least 1
hour, or up to 2 days, before rolling it out. The dough can be frozen
for up to 1 month and defrosted in the refrigerator before using.

A VALUABLE

KITCHEN TOOL

Food scales are not a common kitchen tool in the United States,
but they are a mainstay in kitchens in Europe, and once you own
one, you will find yourself returning to it time and again.
I had always thought of the food scale as an overly fussy tool,
and I am not a fussy cook. But I was wrong. There were times—

for example, when I was whizzing graham crackers in a food
processor and hoping I had the right amount of crumbs—that it
just felt like a bit too much guesswork. After one too many
frustrations, I broke down and bought a scale several years ago.
Now I never bake without it. I still use my sturdy cups to measure
flour and sugar, my trusty spoons to measure spices and extracts.
But when I’m measuring the vanilla wafers to make a crust or

estimating the amount of fruit for a filling, there’s nothing easier
than plopping a bowl on my food scale and measuring away.
They are small, relatively inexpensive, and invaluable to any
home baker.