it's based on the ruhlman 3:2:1 ratio for pastry, but it MUST be done by weight. after many attempts with various flour combinations, this one worked the best:
(makes 2 x 9" crusts)
- 170g white rice flour
- 65g potato starch
- 65g tapioca flour
- 90g unsalted butter, ice cold, in pieces
- 90g lard, ice cold, in pieces (if making a meat pie, i use all lard)
- 60-80g of ice water
- pinch salt
- if making a sweet pie, add optional 1-2tbsp of brown sugar (this is amazing for apple or pumpkin pie)
place all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to homogenize & aerate. cut in fat with pastry blender until coarse crumbs form. drizzle in just enough water to bring it together while mixing with pastry blender. dump in two batches onto plastic wrap, pat into discs approx. 1-1.5" thick and refrigerate minimum 2hrs (better if left overnight).
remove from fridge and allow to come to cool room temperature (20mins on counter, more or less). lay out a silicone mat or parchment paper and sprinkle
generously with tapioca starch. place one disc in the middle, generously sprinkle with starch, then lay plastic wrap overtop of disc and roll out. always roll away from yourself, from the centre, and turn the pin or the mat 15 degrees or so after each stroke until you have a circle approx. 1/8" thick. if it tears you can ball it up and re-roll without fear of it toughening, as there's no gluten to form bonds.
you can cut pieces and fill them for turnovers, cut circles to make tarts, or (for a full pie) you can hold the rolling pin over the middle of the dough and use the silicone mat to bring it up and over the pin, then carefully lay it in your pie dish. if you have cracks or tears they can be repaired by adding small scraps glued in with a wet fingertip. you can blind bake with pie weights (i use dried kidney beans on a piece of tinfoil) at 425 for 15mins, or fill, crimp edges, cut vents and bake:
tarts/turnovers/hand pies - 15mins @ 425f, then reduce to 350f and bake another 15-20mins
full pie - 20mins @425f, reduce to 350f and bake 40-50mins.
blueberry hand pies and roly poly (leftover dough spread with brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins, then rolled up)
mincemeat & raspberry tartlets, apple tart
blueberry tart (i use removable-bottom tart/quiche tins as pictured above)
full size apple and cherry pies for my husband's company potluck
slices from the above
christmas eve tourtiere (all-lard crust)
tourtiere
pumpkin pie
pumpkin pie at christmas dinner
care package i put together for a neighbour - tourtiere, pumpkin pie, GF shortbread bells, GF gingerbread bears, a slice of david liebovitz' "chocolate idiot cake" and a piece of chocolate walnut fudge.
cheers!
-mistress k
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ill advised racing inc.
