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High-Altitude Pie Crust

Servings 1 pie crust

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 3 tbs sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 cup very cold butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2-3 tbs cold water
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Using a pastry cutter or clean hands, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it's worked in, and the mixture has small chunks of butter running throughout. In a small bowl, stir together the egg, 2 tablespoons cold water, and vanilla extract until combined. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture, and use a fork to stir it together until a dough forms. Once you have a shaggy dough, turn it out onto your work surface. If there are any pockets of dry ingredients, sprinkle a little more cold water to help the dough come together. Gently knead the dough until it comes together in a large mass. It will still be a big shaggy.
  2. Lightly flour your work surface, and roll the dough out into a long rectangle, about 15-18 inches long. Fold the dough into thirds, turn 90 degrees, and repeat the process two more times. By the time you reach the third fold, your dough should be much more cohesive. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out to bake.
  3. To par-bake your crust: Roll out your chilled dough into a large circle that is about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. This is a generous amount of dough, so it will be enough for an 8-inch, 9-inch, and most deep-dish pie plates. Transfer your dough to the pie plate, and trim the edges, leaving about 1 inch of over-hang. Tuck the over-hang underneath itself, and crimp your crust however you prefer. Place the whole pie plate into the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Remove the pie crust from the freezer, and line the crust tightly with foil. Fill the crust with pie weights all the way to the top of the crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the foil pulls away from the crust easily. Proceed with your recipe!
  4. To blind bake your crust: Follow the same instructions as par-baking, but after 15-20 minutes, remove the foil with the pie weights, and return the crust to the oven for an additional 12-15 minutes, or until the crust has become golden brown!