Alton Brown's Pie Crust

Filed under Desserts

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2003. Makes 1 (9-inch) crust. The dried beans are for blind baking; the file stops before the rolling and baking steps.

Ingredients

  • 3 oz Butter, 6 tablespoons, chilled
  • 1 oz Lard, 2 tablespoons, chilled
  • 6 oz Flour, all-purpose, about 1 cup, plus extra for rolling
  • 1/2 tsp Salt, table
  • 1/4 cup Water, ice, in a spritz bottle
  • 32 oz Beans, dried, for blind baking

Directions

  1. Freeze the butter and lard 15 minutes, then cut into small pieces.
  2. Pulse the flour and salt in a food processor 3 to 4 times. Add the butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until mealy, then the lard and pulse 3 to 4 times.
  3. Spritz the surface thoroughly with water and pulse 5 times. Add more water and pulse again until it holds together when squeezed.
  4. Squeeze into a ball in a large zip-top bag, press into a rounded disk and refrigerate 30 minutes.