Require Pie Crust Recipe

[ilyushin]

Gotta a project to cook a pie soon and want to do well with the crust. Past attempts have always just been passable if that. I am really looking for a flaky style English pie crust recipe, Sure I can search Google, but thought a person knowledgeable abut making it best in Thailand. Thanks.

[Jamie]

My mom's pie crust recipe is very good. She has won a few contests with it. I could get it from her if you want.

I'm not in Thailand, if that makes a difference though.

Edited June 16, 2007 by Jamie

[Buckwheat]

Gotta a project to cook a pie soon and want to do well with the crust. Past attempts have always just been passable if that. I am really looking for a flaky style English pie crust recipe, Sure I can search Google, but thought a person knowledgeable abut making it best in Thailand. Thanks.

Heres an easy one with ingredients readily available in Thailand...

Crust

1/2 cup butter

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg

1/4 cup cold water

[ilyushin]

My mom's pie crust recipe is very good. She has won a few contests with it. I could get it from her if you want.

I'm not in Thailand, if that makes a difference though.

Jamie,

Thanks a contest winning recipe would be real cool. it really doesn'tmake a difference about Thailand. Look forward to the recipe.

[ilyushin]

Gotta a project to cook a pie soon and want to do well with the crust. Past attempts have always just been passable if that. I am really looking for a flaky style English pie crust recipe, Sure I can search Google, but thought a person knowledgeable abut making it best in Thailand. Thanks.

Heres an easy one with ingredients readily available in Thailand...

Crust

1/2 cup butter

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg

1/4 cup cold water

Buckwheat appreciate the recipe. I can get all the items easily. I will give it a day in court. I will be using a meat filling so it should be interesting to see my results.

Any time to wait between kneading and filling required?

Ilyushin

[Chung noi]

Howdy,

My secret to a flaky crust is to use very cold water, and keep the butter in very small lumps. If your butter melts while you are mixing or you overwork the dough your crust will be tough. Try to work it on a cool surface. Mix ingredients to form a rough mixture about the size of sand pebbles, then finish off with a rolling pin, rolling it out to size. Then cut and place in a pie pan.

Some pies call for a pre baked crust, like cream pies. Simply take a fork a place a few holes in the bottom of the crust, (this keeps it bubbling up) then bake in the oven till lighty tosted, then fill. I like baking. Hope this is helpful.

Chung *j*

Edited June 16, 2007 by Chung noi

[Jamie]

For 10 inch two-crust pie

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable shortening (not sure if they have Crisco there)

9 tablespoons ice water.

Measure flour and salt in to bowl. Cut in shortening thoroughly. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons water can be added if needed).

Gather dough in to ball; shape in to flattened round on lightly floured board. For two crust pie, divide dough in half and shape in to 2 flattened rounds. With floured rolling pin, roll dough 2 inches larger than inverted pie pan. Fold pastry in to quarters; unfold and ease in to pan.

For one crust pie: Trim overhanging edge or pastry i inch from rim of pan. Fold and roll pastry under, even with pan; flute. Fill and bake as directed by recipe.

For baked pie shell: Prick bottom and sides thoroughly with fork. Bake at 475F for 8 to 10 minutes.

For two crust pie: Turn desired filling in to pastry line pie pan. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1/2 inch from rim of pan. Roll second round of dough. Fold in to quarters; cut slits so steam can escape. Plave over filling and unfold. Trim over hanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pan. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge pressing rim to seal; flute. Cover edge with 2 or 3 inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil last 15 minutes of baking. Bake as directed in recipe.

The recipe is pretty similar to others mentioned I guess, and as mentioned, ice cold water is really the key.

[gennisis]

For 10 inch two-crust pie

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable shortening (not sure if they have Crisco there)

9 tablespoons ice water.

Measure flour and salt in to bowl. Cut in shortening thoroughly. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons water can be added if needed).

Gather dough in to ball; shape in to flattened round on lightly floured board. For two crust pie, divide dough in half and shape in to 2 flattened rounds. With floured rolling pin, roll dough 2 inches larger than inverted pie pan. Fold pastry in to quarters; unfold and ease in to pan.

For one crust pie: Trim overhanging edge or pastry i inch from rim of pan. Fold and roll pastry under, even with pan; flute. Fill and bake as directed by recipe.

For baked pie shell: Prick bottom and sides thoroughly with fork. Bake at 475F for 8 to 10 minutes.

For two crust pie: Turn desired filling in to pastry line pie pan. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1/2 inch from rim of pan. Roll second round of dough. Fold in to quarters; cut slits so steam can escape. Plave over filling and unfold. Trim over hanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pan. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge pressing rim to seal; flute. Cover edge with 2 or 3 inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil last 15 minutes of baking. Bake as directed in recipe.

The recipe is pretty similar to others mentioned I guess, and as mentioned, ice cold water is really the key.

You might like to try using Potato mash powder 50/50 with the flour. Take the mash powder and ad just enough boiling water to reconstitute...then add the flour fat or oil and water to make your pastry.

Pastry making in a hot country isnt easy.If you put your measured ingredients in the freezer for half an hour it helps.Make it a quickly as possible.If it gets ward its difficult to roll.

[ilyushin]

Many thanks for all the recipes and suggestions. I will give them all a try. Have lots to bake before July 14.

[Jet Gorgon]

I baked many pies in Thailand.

Use a metal or glass bowl for mixing, but put it in the freezer for a couple hours first.

When you want to make the pastry, have a bigger bowl underneath it and fill it half with ice -- you have to keep the pastry mix cold.

Slice the lard/butter pea size and mix it into the flour. When you mush the dough up with your hands, then refrigerate again for an hour or two.

Roll out thin and line the pie plate.

[Chung noi]

hey, thats a good idea about putting the glass bowl in the freezer. I'm adding that to my bag of tricks .

Thanks

Chung *j*

[thaigerd]

I like to put a sheet of puff pastry on top for finishing........hmmmmmmmmmm light&crispy.

Gerd

[ilyushin]

I baked many pies in Thailand.

Use a metal or glass bowl for mixing, but put it in the freezer for a couple hours first.

When you want to make the pastry, have a bigger bowl underneath it and fill it half with ice -- you have to keep the pastry mix cold.

Slice the lard/butter pea size and mix it into the flour. When you mush the dough up with your hands, then refrigerate again for an hour or two.

Roll out thin and line the pie plate.

Thanks Jet! I will try your method also.

Gotta make the crust just right for these pies. My youngest lad's birthday and he wants flakey meat pies for the party. Made by me too.

Edited June 18, 2007 by ilyushin

[Jet Gorgon]

Glad to be of help! I think it was Alan at the Red Fox in Lamai who taught me that. The heat and humidity in Thailand can really muck up the dough. I would also do as Gen says and bung the flour and butter/lard in the freezer first, too. I'm going to try Bucky and Jamie's recipes myself.

Maybe make a batch of pies before the big day so you can tinker with how you make it, Ilyusion.

I used to make sweet potato pies (like pumpkin but tastier and easier to make) for Thanksgiving. What a mess I made of the kitchen.

You going to share your meat pie recipe, Illy?

[sheepshank]

Pampas Puff Pastry Roll is what you need. It is imported from Oz and it can be found in 500 gm packs at your local specialist farang-food supermarket. I found some nestling alongside the deep-frozen Yorkies pies at Best Supermarket in Pattaya about a year ago and I walked away with half a dozen packs for my deep freeze in Issan.

To make a pie crust you simply thaw out the rolled up pastry; then you carefully unroll it on a floured surface. You'll end up with a sheet of puff pastry measuring 27cmX60cm which you can then cut into whatever shape you want. It retailed at 154 baht for a 500 gm pack last year.

If you can't find Pampas, Carrefour sell their own label puff pastry roll which, when thawed out and unrolled gives you a circular sheet about 45cm in diameter (give-or-take). It does, however, work out a lot more expensive than Pampas.

Once I run out of the pre-packed product maybe I'll learn to make the real thing. But I've tried before and wished I hadn't bothered. There is so much that can go wrong with puff pastry that unless you really know how to handle pastry you might be in for a long uphill struggle before you get it right. It might be worthwhile keeping some frozen puff pastry roll in your back pocket just in case you haven't mastered the craft in time for that special day.

[expatwannabe]

Seems like everyone's already responded, but I'll add my $.02 - mostly in the form of technique.

* for shortening, use a mix of 1/2 butter and 1/2 crisco/shortening - it has a very nice result

* never let the shortening mixture or dough get warm - if it melts, your dough will be tough or pasty

* cut the shortening in with a pastry cutter until you have pea-sized peaces of shortening throughout the flour

* mix the egg and ice water in after the shortening is incorporated - don't mix too long, only until it holds together

* gather and press the dough together in a piece of cling wrap and chill it in the refrigerator/freezer

* roll it out quickly on a lightly floured surface - you can put it in the baking dish and back in the freezer until ready to bake

Edited June 20, 2007 by expatwannabe

[qualtrough]

The Top's super market near us carries Crisco, so try them if you need it.

[LaReina]

Very intersting with loads of tips and tricks. However, things don't mix the same in thailand as they do back home. I think if there are any Chefs on the board they will agree.

1. The flour is wet in thailand.

2. I swear there is something wrong with Butter. Almost watery.

3. Eggs in thailand tend to be more watery also (more noticeable when you make pached eggs).

4. Salt seems to be slightly wet also.

5. You can't use the same amount of water for the crust as your dough is already more moist than it should be.

If using a measuring cup the flour will be significantly off.

I am not familiar with the texture of a meat pie's crust... but if it is similiar to an apple pie or a quiche's crust then here is how I have modified my pilsbury pie crust recipie.

8 or 9 inch Single -Crust Pie

1 cup flour (and I tap the cup to pack it because of the moisture)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup shortening (I use crisco which can be found in Tops, Tessco, Carrefour, Foodland etc)

1 Tbs vinegar (this makes the crust flaky)

1-3 Tbs cold water.

Then you just follow the procedure for making a crust. But work fast and do not over knead the dough.

[Jet Gorgon]

The vinegar trick is interesting. I always sifted the flour three times. I had no pastry cutter so used two knives to cut the lard/butter. Worked OK. true, you have to work the dough quickly in the tropics. I always took what I needed for each one and bunged the rest in the freezer when I had several to make.

[ilyushin]

Okay, I must show some appreciation.

Buckwheat your recipe on a test run worked well. Chung noi the cold water seems to have helped. Jamie the process was great. I had it printed out so I wouldn’t get lost. Gennisis still have not been able to source the Potato mash powder. Jet I Use a metal or glass bowl for mixing and put it in the fridge for a short spell. Sheepshank I couldn’t find Pampas Puff Pastry Roll. Where are they? Expatwannabe thanks for your 2 cents. Much appreciated. Qualtrough I found a small can of Crisco. Forgot all the applications until I opened the can. LaReina answered me question and you are right. They don’t mix the same. Thanks! Vinegar is the next test batch.

Still have a few days to perfect the meat pies with a flakey crust.

Thanks guys and gals. I am sure that my boy and his buddies won’t be disappointed.