I thought the first task in researching pie crust would be to discover what a basic pie dough contains. However, I did not know there were different kinds of pie crust. Yep, it is even more complicated than making the crust; you have to decide which type of crust is best for your purpose. There is your well-known flaky crust, which is divided into long-flake and short-flake (Gisslen 287), and there is what is known as short crust. These are two distinct outcomes (Tanis, “A Good Quiche”) that use the same set of ingredients.
The two major ingredients seem to be flour and fat. The flour ranges from just “flour” (Perelman) to all-purpose flour (“Basic Pie Dough” 30; Tanis “Basic”) to whole wheat flour (Leake) to pastry flour (Gisslen 289). For fat, most recipes use butter. However, a few specify unsalted butter (Greenspan 172; Mollenkamp), while a few others advocate shortening instead (Drummond; Gisslen 289). In 1872, the fat of choice was butter with soda and cream of tartar or “lard, sweet and firm (Harland 350-352).” The use of lard still existed in 1896, and some alternatives at that time were “cocoanut” butter and a shortening known as cottolene (Farmer 386), made of beef tallow and cottonseed oil (“Cottolene”). This produced what was called a paste (Farmer 386) rather than a dough. Gisslen also speaks of a paste, where the flour and fat are blended completely (287). In addition to the fat, some sort of liquid is also needed to help develop the wheat gluten, so most recipes include cold or ice water (Dana; Gisslen 289; Tanis), although this is sometimes replaced by cold milk (Winkler) or alcohol (Perelman). Other repeated additions include salt and sugar (“Basic Pie Dough” 30). To my surprise, egg does make an appearance in a few recipes (Drummond; Greenspan 172) and is referred to as enriched pie pastry (Gisslen 289). One very interesting recipe is called “transparent crust” and consists of flour, butter, and egg yolk; but it is only recommended for “tartlets or pâtés (Harland 353).”
Which of these ingredients causes the flakiness of a pie crust? It is the fat. As the fat melts in the oven, steam escapes causing air pockets that result in flakiness (Perelman). Walnut-size pieces of fat create what is called long-flake, while hazelnut-size pieces create what is called short-flake (Gisslen 287). While visible chunks of fat usually equal flake, another recommended trick is keeping the fat cold for as long as possible (Perelman; Tanis, “A Good Quiche”). Some recipes even instruct refrigerating the dough again before rolling (Gisslen 289). When it comes to which fat to use, it is really a matter of choice because chemically a fat is a fat. Even though Drummond claims “butter just will not work,” Perelman says “it won't matter which fat you use.” In fact, some of what have to be short-crust recipes use liquid oil (Elizabeth) or melted butter (Leake). However, these are for quiche crusts, so they don't necessarily have to be flaky, do they?
So, what is the difference between a not-flaky short crust and a flaky crust? It is all in how well blended, or unblended as the case may be, the fat and flour are. According to Gisslen, one should only cut in the fat until “the shortening is the size of peas or hazelnuts” to achieve a flaky pie crust (287). This echoes Perelman's assertion that the butter should be visible. The short crust, in contrast, is blended until “the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.” There are many pie dough recipes which instruct mixing the ingredients to a coarse meal appearance (Tanis, “A Good Quiche”). These are technically short crusts, also known as mealy pie dough (Gisslen 287). And when should one choose a short crust? Short crusts are “less likely to absorb moisture from the filling and become soggy (Gisslen 287),” so they are favored for bottom crusts of fruit pies and other soft fillings. Pre-baking either type of crust diminishes the chance of mushiness (Gisslen 287; Tanis, “A Good Quiche”).
As for whether to make the dough by hand or with a food processor or other machine, Perelman states "it is so much harder to overwork your dough and overmix your butter by hand than it is when you use the food processor." Besides, making the dough by hand burns calories. It is said 2 hours of baking activities, such as rolling and kneading, can burn 471 calories (Novak). You want a reason to reward yourself with that high-calorie crusted treat, then do it without the machine! (Okay, you fellow math geeks out there have already figured out that comes to 3.925 calories per minute, so a 5-minute pie crust would burn only 19.625 calories, and there is no such thing as a 19.625-calorie slice of pie. Shhhh!)
By now you are wondering where on earth I am going with all this. To do a good crust, one should know the options. If I have discovered all the options above, my choices are actually quite simple. By all accounts, I should be able to achieve a pie crust using just flour and butter, so that is going to be my starting point. As I progress, I will add other ingredients, starting with salt and ice water, until I obtain the desired outcome. I would like something flaky and not soggy, so pre-baking is a necessity. And I have no desire to pull out a food processor, so the dough will be made using a pastry cutter, although it would be interesting to see what a Ninja™ Master Prep™ Professional would do. My Facebook friend says she uses this recipe, although I like this recipe as a better starting point. With the exception of water in the former and sugar in the latter, they are quite similar in ratio.
So that is my dissertation on pie crust. Next time I have a hankering for a quiche, I will just whip out my flour and butter and create another post.
As always, I welcome your comments. Click on the Comment link below; it may say "No" or have a number in front of it.
References:
“Basic Pie Dough.” Everyday Food Nov. 2006: 30-31. Print.
“Cottolene.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 19 May 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Dana. “Butter Flaky Pie Crust Recipe.” Allrecipes.com. Allrecipes.com, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Drummond, Ree. “Perfect Pie Crust.” The Pioneer Woman. The Pioneer Woman | Ree Drummond, 22 Dec. 2007. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Elizabeth. “Quick N Easy Quiche Crust.” Food.com. Scripps Networks, LLC, 27 Jan. 2002. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Farmer, Fannie M. The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. 1896. Reprint. “The Original Fannie Farmer 1896 Cook Book.” Italy: Ottenheimer Publishers, Inc., 1998. Print.
Gisslen, Wayne. “Pies.” Professional Baking. 5th ed. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley, 2009. 286-315. Print.
Greenspan, Dorie. “Mushroom-Shallot Quiche.” Bon Appétit Oct. 2006: 172. Print.
Harland, Marion. Common Sense in the Household: A Manual of Practical Housewifery. 1872. Reprint. Birmingham, AL: Oxmoor House, 1985. Print.
Leake, Lisa. “Recipe: Quiche with a Super Easy Whole-Wheat Crust.” 100 Days of Real Food. 100 Days of Real Food, 26 Apr. 2010. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Mollenkamp, Aida. “Basic Pie Dough Recipe.” CHOW. CBS Interactive Inc., 26 Nov. 2008. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Novak, Sara. “7 Activities to Counteract the Thanksgiving Calorie Overload.” TLC. Discovery Communications, LLC, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Perelman, Deb. “Pie crust 102: all butter, really flaky pie dough.” smittenkitchen.com. Smitten Kitchen, LLC, 24 Nov. 2008. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Tanis, David. “Basic Short-Crust Pastry.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
-- "A Good Quiche Needs Good Pastry." Diner's Journal. The New York Times Company, 19 Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Winkler, Katy. “Quiche with a Perfect Crust.” Food o' del Mundo. N.p., 15 Nov. 2009. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
The two major ingredients seem to be flour and fat. The flour ranges from just “flour” (Perelman) to all-purpose flour (“Basic Pie Dough” 30; Tanis “Basic”) to whole wheat flour (Leake) to pastry flour (Gisslen 289). For fat, most recipes use butter. However, a few specify unsalted butter (Greenspan 172; Mollenkamp), while a few others advocate shortening instead (Drummond; Gisslen 289). In 1872, the fat of choice was butter with soda and cream of tartar or “lard, sweet and firm (Harland 350-352).” The use of lard still existed in 1896, and some alternatives at that time were “cocoanut” butter and a shortening known as cottolene (Farmer 386), made of beef tallow and cottonseed oil (“Cottolene”). This produced what was called a paste (Farmer 386) rather than a dough. Gisslen also speaks of a paste, where the flour and fat are blended completely (287). In addition to the fat, some sort of liquid is also needed to help develop the wheat gluten, so most recipes include cold or ice water (Dana; Gisslen 289; Tanis), although this is sometimes replaced by cold milk (Winkler) or alcohol (Perelman). Other repeated additions include salt and sugar (“Basic Pie Dough” 30). To my surprise, egg does make an appearance in a few recipes (Drummond; Greenspan 172) and is referred to as enriched pie pastry (Gisslen 289). One very interesting recipe is called “transparent crust” and consists of flour, butter, and egg yolk; but it is only recommended for “tartlets or pâtés (Harland 353).”
Which of these ingredients causes the flakiness of a pie crust? It is the fat. As the fat melts in the oven, steam escapes causing air pockets that result in flakiness (Perelman). Walnut-size pieces of fat create what is called long-flake, while hazelnut-size pieces create what is called short-flake (Gisslen 287). While visible chunks of fat usually equal flake, another recommended trick is keeping the fat cold for as long as possible (Perelman; Tanis, “A Good Quiche”). Some recipes even instruct refrigerating the dough again before rolling (Gisslen 289). When it comes to which fat to use, it is really a matter of choice because chemically a fat is a fat. Even though Drummond claims “butter just will not work,” Perelman says “it won't matter which fat you use.” In fact, some of what have to be short-crust recipes use liquid oil (Elizabeth) or melted butter (Leake). However, these are for quiche crusts, so they don't necessarily have to be flaky, do they?
So, what is the difference between a not-flaky short crust and a flaky crust? It is all in how well blended, or unblended as the case may be, the fat and flour are. According to Gisslen, one should only cut in the fat until “the shortening is the size of peas or hazelnuts” to achieve a flaky pie crust (287). This echoes Perelman's assertion that the butter should be visible. The short crust, in contrast, is blended until “the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.” There are many pie dough recipes which instruct mixing the ingredients to a coarse meal appearance (Tanis, “A Good Quiche”). These are technically short crusts, also known as mealy pie dough (Gisslen 287). And when should one choose a short crust? Short crusts are “less likely to absorb moisture from the filling and become soggy (Gisslen 287),” so they are favored for bottom crusts of fruit pies and other soft fillings. Pre-baking either type of crust diminishes the chance of mushiness (Gisslen 287; Tanis, “A Good Quiche”).
As for whether to make the dough by hand or with a food processor or other machine, Perelman states "it is so much harder to overwork your dough and overmix your butter by hand than it is when you use the food processor." Besides, making the dough by hand burns calories. It is said 2 hours of baking activities, such as rolling and kneading, can burn 471 calories (Novak). You want a reason to reward yourself with that high-calorie crusted treat, then do it without the machine! (Okay, you fellow math geeks out there have already figured out that comes to 3.925 calories per minute, so a 5-minute pie crust would burn only 19.625 calories, and there is no such thing as a 19.625-calorie slice of pie. Shhhh!)
By now you are wondering where on earth I am going with all this. To do a good crust, one should know the options. If I have discovered all the options above, my choices are actually quite simple. By all accounts, I should be able to achieve a pie crust using just flour and butter, so that is going to be my starting point. As I progress, I will add other ingredients, starting with salt and ice water, until I obtain the desired outcome. I would like something flaky and not soggy, so pre-baking is a necessity. And I have no desire to pull out a food processor, so the dough will be made using a pastry cutter, although it would be interesting to see what a Ninja™ Master Prep™ Professional would do. My Facebook friend says she uses this recipe, although I like this recipe as a better starting point. With the exception of water in the former and sugar in the latter, they are quite similar in ratio.
So that is my dissertation on pie crust. Next time I have a hankering for a quiche, I will just whip out my flour and butter and create another post.
As always, I welcome your comments. Click on the Comment link below; it may say "No" or have a number in front of it.
References:
“Basic Pie Dough.” Everyday Food Nov. 2006: 30-31. Print.
“Cottolene.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 19 May 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Dana. “Butter Flaky Pie Crust Recipe.” Allrecipes.com. Allrecipes.com, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Drummond, Ree. “Perfect Pie Crust.” The Pioneer Woman. The Pioneer Woman | Ree Drummond, 22 Dec. 2007. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Elizabeth. “Quick N Easy Quiche Crust.” Food.com. Scripps Networks, LLC, 27 Jan. 2002. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Farmer, Fannie M. The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. 1896. Reprint. “The Original Fannie Farmer 1896 Cook Book.” Italy: Ottenheimer Publishers, Inc., 1998. Print.
Gisslen, Wayne. “Pies.” Professional Baking. 5th ed. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley, 2009. 286-315. Print.
Greenspan, Dorie. “Mushroom-Shallot Quiche.” Bon Appétit Oct. 2006: 172. Print.
Harland, Marion. Common Sense in the Household: A Manual of Practical Housewifery. 1872. Reprint. Birmingham, AL: Oxmoor House, 1985. Print.
Leake, Lisa. “Recipe: Quiche with a Super Easy Whole-Wheat Crust.” 100 Days of Real Food. 100 Days of Real Food, 26 Apr. 2010. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Mollenkamp, Aida. “Basic Pie Dough Recipe.” CHOW. CBS Interactive Inc., 26 Nov. 2008. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Novak, Sara. “7 Activities to Counteract the Thanksgiving Calorie Overload.” TLC. Discovery Communications, LLC, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Perelman, Deb. “Pie crust 102: all butter, really flaky pie dough.” smittenkitchen.com. Smitten Kitchen, LLC, 24 Nov. 2008. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Tanis, David. “Basic Short-Crust Pastry.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
-- "A Good Quiche Needs Good Pastry." Diner's Journal. The New York Times Company, 19 Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Winkler, Katy. “Quiche with a Perfect Crust.” Food o' del Mundo. N.p., 15 Nov. 2009. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
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