Whether you're making an apple pie or a pumpkin pie, all you need is the ideal pie crust, which requires a lot of effort. No one can dispute that it is one of the guilty pleasures, but why not make it at home? Even while the one from the shop might taste and look amazing, the one created at home may be more affordable and delicious. You would need butter, cold water, salt, sugar, and butter to create a pie at home. Here is the simplest way to replicate it at home if you also want to.
1. Cold Butter
The key to preparing the ideal pie is to make sure the butter used to prepare the dough is cold. When the cold butter used to produce the pie dough comes into contact with the hot oven, it melts and emits little amounts of steam. This technique makes the entire pie flakey and the crust soft. Prepare carefully to only take the butter out of the fridge when you're ready to make the pie crust.
2. The Pie Dough
It is critical to understand the procedure of a 'pie dough' while preparing a handmade pie since only then will you be able to get the proper texture of a pie. The cut and fold procedure, which is popular for making cake dough, should always be used to make pie dough. This procedure is used to ensure that the butter and flour are blended evenly. For beginners, experts recommend using a food processor to prepare the perfect pie crust, as making a fine 'pie dough' can be exceedingly laborious. If you still want to get messy and do it by hand, combine the cold butter, salt, all-purpose flour, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. This allowed you to properly incorporate the butter into the flour.
3. Use Of Cold Water
To make the pie dough 'perfect,' add cold or ice water, which can aid in bringing the entire dough together smoothly. To prevent the dough from becoming sticky, add cold water at intervals. The amount of water fed to the food processor is determined by the relative humidity of the air. As a result, the recommended approach is to start with half a cup of ice water and then add more as needed. If the dough still needs water, add 1-2 tsp at a time to achieve the desired consistency.
4. Chilling The Dough
Always chill the dough for a sufficient period of time to allow the gluten in the dough to relax. When the gluten is relaxed, the crust becomes more tender and less chewy. As a result, to produce the best pie dough, chill it in the refrigerator for 45-60 minutes.
