Similar to a pâte brisée (pronounced pot bree zay), this short dough is mixed the same as a mealy pie dough with the butter and flour being rubbed together until the consistency of coarse cornmeal. Coating the flour with the fat before the liquid ingredients are added keeps gluten development low, hence the term, short. This type of crust is perfect for fruit or custard pies and tarts because it is less likely to become soggy during baking. For a true, pâte brisée, add a quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract with the eggs and water.

ingredients

ingredients

• 190 g all-purpose flour
• 113 g unsalted butter, cubed
• Zest of one lemon or lime
• 60 g whole egg (about 1 large egg)
• 15 g granulated sugar
• 3 g kosher salt
• 40 – 60 g ice water

equipment

• whisk
• large bowl
• wooden spoon or spatula
• food processor
• aluminum foil
• 9″ pie pan

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instructions

MAKE THE DOUGH:

1. Combine flour, salt, sugar and zest in a food processor and pulse a few times to blend.
2. Add the cold butter and pulse several times, until the dough looks like coarse cornmeal. This is a mealy pie dough, which is great for custard pies because they are less likely to absorb moisture and become soggy.
3. Next, add the egg and smaller amount of water then pulse the mixture a few, short times or until the dough looks very lumpy and moistened. If the dough still looks dry, add more water as needed.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gently knead the dough a few times until it comes together.
5. Press the dough into a disk then wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. You can leave the wrapped dough in the refrigerator for a couple of days or put it in the freezer for up to one month. When using frozen dough, be sure to let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, before rolling out.

ROLL OUT THE DOUGH:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 F.
2. Dust your rolling pin with flour and place the unwrapped dough on a well-floured counter and roll out to 1/8″ thickness.
3. Remove excess surface flour with a dry pastry brush then place your pie or tart pan on top of the rolled-out dough and make sure it is centered.
4. With the pan as your guide, measure a border of 1″ then remove all excess dough with a paring knife or pastry cutter. Lift the pan off the dough and fold the circle in half then in half again.
5. Gently set the folded dough so the pointed end is in the center of the pan then unfold the dough and gently lift and tuck it into place.
6. Fold the 1″ border under and press or crimp in place.
7. Dock the bottom of the pie crust with a fork then place it into the freezer for 15 minutes.

BLIND BAKE THE CRUST:

Blind baking is a technique for partially cooking your pie crust before the filling is added. It is common to blind bake a crust when making a fresh fruit tart, or a cream or pudding pie where the filling has been cooked on the stove or for a custard pie that is baked at a low temperature.

1. If you made a crimped or decorative crust, the best way to preserve it during blind baking is to use foil. Cut a sheet large enough to cover the whole crust then wrap the edges, tightly, and press into all of the gaps until you can see the shape of the crimp through the foil.
2. Fill the center with dried beans or pie weights then place it onto a half baking sheet and into the oven for 25 minutes.

If you are using this crust for a pie that will be cooking at 350 F or lower, do what is called an “extra” blind bake. At 25 minutes, lift up the foil around the edges to expose the crust edge. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the edges reach your desired golden-brown color.

NOTE: When making a fresh fruit tart or cream pie, you will want the crust to be completely baked rather than just partially baked. Instead of only lifting up the edges of the foil, remove all of the foil and pie weights before extra blind baking.

3. Remove the crust from the oven, carefully lift off the foil and pie weights, and allow the crust to cool on a rack completely before adding any filling.