For fillings, the sky is not the limit. But the base, the pie dough… it always remains almost the same. Simple but excellent.
It can have several names, here it is called masa podre (I do not know why). But it’s not the blender one. It’s buttery and crumbly that melts when you eat it.
Her foreign name could be Pastry (if it is salty) or Sweet dough (if it’s sweet). Some can go with eggs, while others cannot. Both are good.
I like this version, it is based on proportions suggested in the text Michael Ruhlman’s So Rational.
Very flaky e crumby, in other words it is very brittle as it should be. By changing the amount of sugar, it becomes a “salty” version. Neutral enough to pair well with any type of filling. Damn good! 🙂
Simple Pie Crust
Makes: 600 g
- 360 g wheat flour
- 50 g refined sugar (for savory pie use 10g)
- 3 g refined salt
- 220 g butter without salt (chilled; in cubes)
- 2 oops spoons water (cold; about 40-80mL)
1 cup: 250mL | 1 tablespoon: 15mL.
- In a bowl combine the wheat flour, sugar, salt and butter.
- Crumble the butter with your fingertips until it resembles crumbs (wet sand). This step can be done on the processor too, use the pulse function.
- Add water little by little. The amount depends on the flour and butter used, generally 55-60mL is enough (approximately 3 tablespoons).
- Add one at a time and mix with the aim of bringing all these crumbs together. Don’t overwork the dough, stir just enough to bring it together.
- Once the dough comes together and cohesive. Make a low square and wrap it in a plastic film bag, put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Open on a clean surface. You can use a silpat (non-stick silicone mat), between two layers of plastic bag or sprinkle with wheat flour.
- Roll out to a thickness of no more than 0.5cm and line the desired baking tray. Place in the freezer or refrigerator to firm up before baking. Important step in the case of pre-baking the base.
- It can be frozen if not used immediately.
- Pre-bake: depending on the filling (if it is liquid, for example) used and the size of the pie (if it is large) it is recommended that the dough is pre-baked, to do this: line the pan of choice, make the edge relatively thick and pierce the base with a fork. Then, with baking paper or aluminum over the dough, I added beans or rice. Their weight will help keep the dough in place. Then, bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC for approximately 10-15 minutes.
- Salted: if you want, you can remove the sugar and add 30g of finely grated cheese.
