Crust for all pies

Basic homemade pie crust for savoury or sweet Québec and Aussie style pies.

Pie crust making on the kitchen table • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2019

Pies, let’s talk about "poyes" (that’s my Aussie accent). Pâtés, Tartes or Tourtières to make it simple in French... French and English colonized countries all made their own signature dishes from this classic base. That has inspired me to explore and experiment with some Québec and Australian style recipes. As we all know, this is a very ancient dish that contains a filling cooked in the oven into one or between two pastry shells as savoury meal (meat, fish, eggs, vegetable) or a sweet dessert (fruits, nuts, sugar). There are a number of ways to make dough from scratch, but I wanted to explore the adapted version my mum made from my grandmother’s recipe. If you plan ahead, it is a pleasant and therapeutic activity, like doing craft or art. No matter how it turns out, homemade always tastes best!

RECIPE for 2 family pies of 22-23cm or 6 mini pies of 9 cm

DOUGH INGREDIENTS:

3 cups of plain flour

125g of butter

1 tsp white vinegar

2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup of cold water

PREPARATION OF SHELL DISKS:

Cut butter into cubes and mix with the flour in the food processor*.

Add the salt, vinegar, egg and water then mix all ingredients to a crumbly texture.

Transfer the mixture onto flat mat or board and using your hands, shape the dough into two equal-sized balls (add flour if needed).

Seal in airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Separate the balls into two (now you will have four balls) and roll out the dough in shell that will fit the dish.

Go to the next step to assemble the pie.

Notes:

• To make individual pies, form six balls to divide into 12 disks.

• Shells can be frozen (handy to have them pre-made for warmer months).

*Can be done with fingers, old school way!

PIE CRUST ASSEMBLY INGREDIENTS:

Dough disks

Filling

1 egg, beaten with ¼ cup of milk (glaze to golden)

ASSEMBLY AND COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven at 425F (220C) and place the bottom shell a pie dish.

Fill the shell with the filling of the pie and brush the edges of the first shell with glaze.

Cover with the top shell and seal well.

Cut vent holes and borders with a knife and form decorative edges with hands (if desired).

Apply glaze on the pie top with the pastry brush.

Bake 10 minutes on bottom oven rack. Then lower temperature to 350F (180C) and transfer the pie to the middle shelve to bake for 30 minutes.

Check out some related recipes and inspirations:

#salmonpie #applepie #tourtieremeatpies