In her article titled “A Recipe to Revisit,” food writer Lara Buchar reintroduces a fantastic recipe that may have been overlooked but is definitely worth trying. Many home bakers find certain desserts daunting, like pie crusts, known for their tricky nature, as shown on “The Great Canadian Baking Show” with its dreaded “soggy bottom” challenge.
Growing up, my household relied on store-bought pie crusts, making the idea of crafting one from scratch seem as outlandish as making paper from wood pulp. However, I realized that what I needed was not expertise, but a reliable recipe.
I stumbled upon the All-Butter Pie Dough recipe in the well-loved cookbook, “The Joy of Cooking,” which has become a staple in my kitchen over the years. Initially self-published in 1931 by Irma S. Rombauer, this cookbook has undergone multiple editions, each featuring meticulously tested and updated recipes.
What drew me to this pie dough recipe was its exclusion of shortening, a less commonly stocked ingredient, and the option to use a food processor for mixing. To my surprise, the dough came together effortlessly, leading me to doubt my success. But as I baked a beautifully golden and flaky apple pie, I realized it was a result of generations of baking wisdom and recipe refinement.
Recreating this recipe numerous times as a professional baker in various conditions and with different ingredients only reinforced its reliability. It serves as a testament to the enduring appeal of timeless recipes that consistently deliver exceptional results, regardless of the baker’s skill level.
The All-Butter Pie Dough recipe stands out as a favorite due to its superior taste and ease of handling compared to recipes incorporating shortening. For a 9-inch single-crust pie, halve the recipe or store the excess dough for future use after preparation.
To make the dough, combine all-purpose flour, sugar (for sweet pies), salt, and cold unsalted butter in a bowl or food processor. Add ice water and vinegar, blend gently, and form the dough into disks for immediate rolling or refrigeration. This recipe yields a double crust for a 9- or 10-inch pie.
The excerpt is from “Joy of Cooking” by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker, John Becker, and Megan Scott, copyrighted in 2019 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., The Joy of Cooking Trust, and the MRB Revocable Trust. Reproduced with permission.