Basque Pie Crust

Prep time: 10min, Cook time: 16min

Ingredients

One half cup of Ice water

One and 1/3rd cups flour

1/3 cup shortening (use Crisco or lard)

½ teaspoon of salt

Instructions:

  1. First turn the oven on to 425 degrees F
  2. Next fill a cup with ice and then add about ½ cup of water
  3. Place one cup of flour, a few sprinkles of salt, and the shorting into a small to medium sized bowl.
  4. The next step is best completed using a pastry cutter; however a large for will work. Blend the shortening into the flour until crumbs are formed.
  5. Add about two tablespoons of water. Stir with a fork. The dough should come together into a ball. You don’t want to get the dough too moist; that is the dough must not be sticky or flakey. If the dough is not forming into a ball add another tablespoon of water and stir again.
  6. After stirring, use your hands to gather the dough into a ball. Set the dough aside until you are ready to roll it out. The pie crust will roll out best if allowed to rest for at least fifteen minutes.
  7. Use about ½ of the remaining flour to coat the rolling pin and cover the area where you are going to roll out the pie crust
  8. Place the dough ball in the center of the floured area and use your hand to flatten into a circle about eight inches in diameter.
  9. Lightly dust the top of the dough and flip over, then sprinkle a little flour on the top.
  10. Start rolling the dough into a larger circle gently. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin then add flour to both the rolling pin and a very light layer to the dough.
  11. Continue to rolling the dough until it is about eighteen inches in diameter.
  12. Now recoat both the rolling pin and dough with a little flour.
  13. Place the rolling pin at the bottom of the dough. Using a very thin metal spatula roll the dough onto the rolling pin while moving the rolling pin across the dough. Once the dough is on the rolling pin move it to the outside edge of the pie pan and unwind the rolling pin towards you.
  14. Now that the dough is in the pie pan you should press it into the pan along the inside of the pan.
  15. Using a sharp knife trim the edge of the pie pan. The amount to trim is dependent on how thick you want the outer rim of your pie. The extra dough will be used to cover areas inside of the pie pan that are not covered in dough. Simply tear off a piece of dough and work it into the uncovered areas. You can use a little water if you have problems getting the dough to stick.
  16. Use a fork and puncture the bottom of the dough about sixteen times.
  17. The dough will cook in approximately sixteen minutes, but remember that it will continue to cook once it comes out of the oven