Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 280 g all-purpose flour, chilled
- 5 g kosher salt
Fats and Liquids
- 198 g vegetable shortening, frozen or very cold, cubed
- 80 ml ice water, very cold
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the chilled all-purpose flour and kosher salt until evenly combined.
Add the very cold vegetable shortening to the flour. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal with several larger, pea-sized pieces remaining. Do not overwork.
Drizzle the ice water over the mixture, 15ml at a time, gently tossing with a fork. Stop adding water when the dough holds together easily when squeezed in your hand.
Turn the shaggy dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide it equally into two portions. Shape each portion into a flat disk, about 2 centimeters thick, handling the dough as little as possible to keep the shortening cold.
Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 1 hour to allow the gluten to relax and the fat to firm up before rolling out and baking at your desired recipe temperature, typically around 200°C/400°F.
Chef's Notes
- Molly O'Neill championed the reliability of vegetable shortening for an exquisitely flaky crust, as it contains 100 percent fat and remains solid at room temperature, making it very forgiving to work with.
- To ensure maximum flakiness, place your mixing bowl and pastry blender in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting.
- The visible pea-sized clumps of shortening in the raw dough are crucial; as they melt during baking, they create steam pockets that result in a perfectly layered crust.
- Always let the chilled dough sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling out to prevent the edges from cracking under the rolling pin.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to prevent drying.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap and place in an airtight bag.
