Page 42 - Pie Squared

WITHOUT CRUST, A PIE WOULD BE a casserole, no

more than a pan of filling, heated. Crust is pie’s raison-

d’être. From the beginning of my pie adventures, my

mother’s absolutely dependable pie dough recipe has

paved the way to my success—paired with practice and

persistence. Now, this recipe is in your hands, sized to
fit a slab pie pan. It’s easy to mix, easy to roll, easy to

shape, and bakes up flaky, tender, and scrumptious. An

indispensable, utterly reliable pie crust recipe delivers

super powers.

In this chapter are other doughs made with butter or shortening, lard
or cream cheese, cheddar, onion, chocolate, and rye. Or avoid a
rolling pin altogether with press-in shortbread or olive oil crusts and
crusts crushed from cookies and crackers. Grocery store phyllo, puff

pastry, and even pie crusts all work with slab pies.

MIXING AND ROLLING OUT A SENSATIONAL SLAB PIE CRUST

Slab pies are for crust lovers. They’re crowd pleasers, bronzed and

golden, with scrumptious fillings burbling out of a flaky wrapping.
There are more edges, more corners, and more opportunities for pie
crust in a slab pie.

An ideal pie crust has flavor, loft, and crackly tenderness. A user-
friendly pie dough rolls out without a fight and the crust emerges
from the oven a pleasing color ranging from pale buttery tan to
deeply bronzed and shiny. Your favorite pie crust will be all that, and
will taste sensational.

When mixing the ingredients, speed and cold are important. No