Page 51 - Pie Squared

you’ll join the rest of the voices complaining about recipes that don’t
include weights.

MIXING THE DOUGH
There are three ways to mix pie dough: Using a food processor, by

hand, and (only in a pinch) with a stand mixer. My hands-down
favorite is the food processor. In fact, pie crust may be the primary
reason I own a food processor. Nothing “cuts in” butter better. It also

makes quick work of grating vegetables, mixing up scone and biscuit
dough, and slicing mushrooms for gravy. But I digress.
The recipes in this book are written for the food processor. But
you can use either of the other two methods with confidence. The
dough that emerges is the same whether made in a machine or with

your hands. But the food processor is as fast as a roadrunner and
absolutely consistent and that’s why I like it. Less than 2 minutes to
dough, wrapped and ready for the refrigerator.

Mixing Pie Dough with a Food Processor
The food processor method is the default method in my recipes and

explained in depth in each one. Be sure to use a processor with a 7-
cup capacity or larger, not a mini processor. Place the processor
work bowl on the scale. Weigh the flour into the work bowl as

explained above, then weigh in the cold, cubed butter, and add the
salt. Move the bowl to the food processor and use the Pulse function
to cut the butter into the flour. Add the cold liquid all at once and
process until the dough almost comes together in a rough ball. You’ll
hear the sounds change to chunka chunka chunka as the gathered

clump hits the side of the bowl. All the flour will be dampened and
the dough will be a shaggy clump. Scrape the processor clean and
dump all the dough onto the flour-dusted plastic wrap and proceed.