Perfect pie crust?

[bkreigsr]

Thought I would see if I have better luck with this recipe:

Sylvia’s Perfect Pie Crust | Tasty Kitchen: A Happy Recipe Community!

What's the purpose of the egg? My guess is as a binder or to add a little color to the finished product? - instead of the final egg wash?

What's the purpose of the vinegar? I don't do any other scratch baking, so I'm at a loss. If I forget it, what's going to happen?

Thanks
Bill K

[wdfifteen]

I've never heard of egg IN the pie dough. I brush egg on the finished pie to get a nice golden glaze on it. My favorite recipe is similar to this vodka recipe. I like it because it's easy to work (ie doesn't stick to the rolling pin or rolling mat).

Easy Vodka Pie Crust Recipe - Allrecipes.com

[vash]

i also use the vodka method.

less water = less gluten developed.

[MRM]

Here's a link to an article that explains the science behind pie dough. How Alcohol Makes A Flakier Pie Crust: The "Proof" Is In The Pie - Scientific American Blog Network

It explains why Vash's vodka method makes the flakiest crust. You need moisture to bind the flour together, but water interacts with the glutens to make the crust harder. Alcohol doesn't react the same way as water, so you get the benefit of liquid binding the flour without water making things hard.

[jcommin]

I have a variation of this:

I have used half/half instead of water
I have used just the yoke instead of the whole egg. I usually mix the egg yoke with the vinegar.
I like butter better than shortening but the butter needs to be cold. When mixing, you want to see small specks of the butter. I thought the secret to a flaky crust was not to over work the dough.

I usually get the dough very cold before rolling.

[imcarthur]

Lard + flour + salt. Maybe an egg. I don't know if you can buy Tenderflake lard but if you can, just follow that reciipe on the box. No Crisco is not as good . . . When I get home I can post the recipe.

Ian

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Lard + flour + salt.

That's the way I have been shown by an old master Baker from Austria. Very light mixing. Just enough for everything to touch. Just a touch of water to help bind.

[rusnak]

+1. Just don't mix the dough until it's "mixed". It has to be just until it begins to stick. It'll look like everything is going to fall apart, then you roll it out and it stays. You really don't need to let the glutens relax if you don't ever get them worked up.

[Tobra]

Keep your lard in the fridge, use cold water, handle as little as possible

[creaturecat]

bear lard makes for a nice light crust.
supposedly.

[bkreigsr]

All good tips. My downfall is I overwork the dough before the 2 hours in the fridge.
Curious as to what the alcohol would do to my (recovering) alcoholic friends? They are usually hands-off anything that uses alcohol.
Thanks
Bill K

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by bkreigsr

All good tips. My downfall is I overwork the dough before the 2 hours in the fridge.
Curious as to what the alcohol would do to my (recovering) alcoholic friends? They are usually hands-off anything that uses alcohol.
Thanks
Bill K

In my experience with my recovering friends the "flavor" of the spirit can be a trigger even if the alcohol is cooked off.

[on2wheels52]

Watch how my wife makes it. Same as her mom's. Mid-west farm cooking.
Jim

[Bill Douglas]

Old family secret.

[Arizona_928]

haha take that as a chicken pot pie?

[Superman]

My pie crusts are as flaky as they get, and the only tricks I use are:

White Crisco. Butter flavor stuff does not perform as well
Make sure the Crisco and flour are TOTALLY combined (into a mixture that is like sand), then...
'''basically just FOLD the water in with a fork, handling the dough as little as possible (this is important)
Gather into balls and roll out between two sheets of waxed paper.

The water needs to be as COLD as possible.

Seriously, my Mom, at least one of my sisters and I make the flakiest crust you ever saw, using the method above.

[Charles Freeborn]

Yes to vodka.
-C

[masraum]

I've never made a pie crust, but I've heard several different sources say that everything should be cold when you do.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

haha take that as a chicken pot pie?

Yep just a chicken pie - he says modestly.

Chicken browned on the BBQ, a can of condensed chicken soup, heavens forbid supermarket frozen sheets of pastry. People love it. Or maybe it's just my artwork they like