Home made pies “like mother used to make”! Doesn’t that anticipation make your mouth water? And really, pastry making is not such a difficult culinary task if the following precautions are observed.
Keep all ingredients as cold as possible. If the fat is rubbed into the flour with the fingers, use quick and light motion for if the fat is melted the crust will be tough. Use the minimum amount of water needed to hold the dough together. Chilling the dough before rolling makes it easier to handle and also lighter. Roll just enough dough for one crust at a time. Use quick light motion, from the center outward so as to keep the shape round.
Do not grease the pie tin. Fit dough smoothly to pie tin so no air is enclosed. If crust is to be baked before the filling is added, the pie tin may be inverted and the dough fitted on the outside. Handle dough as little as possible. Bake in hot oven (450°F).
PLAIN PASTRY
2 cups pastry flour or 1¾ cups bread flour
½ cup cold fat
1 tsp. salt
Approximately ⅓ cup cold water
Sift flour and salt; cut or rub in shortening; add the cold water gradually, adding just enough to hold the dough together. Let chill for 20 minutes. Divide dough in two parts and roll out to ⅛ inch thickness on a slightly floured board. Line pie tin, crimp edge with thumb and finger; prick sides and bottom with fork to preserve the shape. Bake in a hot oven (450°F) for 12 to 20 minutes. For a two crust pie, line the pie tin with pastry, moisten rim with cold water, add filling and cover with top crust which has incisions cut in it to allow the escape of steam. Press edges of upper and lower dough together, trim off excess and bake in a hot oven (450°F). This recipe makes 2 crusts.