Pastry Dough
PIE DOUGH
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 4 pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Using a food processor or standing mixer, beat the flour with the cold butter until large, pea-size lumps form. Now, begin to add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough just begins to come together. Do not wait until a ball forms or the dough will be tough. Turn off the mixer and reach in the bowl to pinch some dough together. If it holds, the dough is finished.
3. Transfer the dough to a large sheet of wax paper until the dough is two inches larger than your pie pan, roughly 12 inches in diameter. Peel one piece of waxed paper off the dough and flip the dough into the pie pan; remove the top layer of wax paper. Lightly press the dough into the pan and crimp the edges. Do not worry if the edges are not perfect - this is a homemade pie and should look like one.
4. To partially bake the piecrust: Put a fresh layer of wax paper on top of the dough and fill with 1 1/2 cups dried beans, raw rice, or pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and poke the bottom of the crust with a fork several times. Return the piecrust to the oven for another 8 minutes for a partially cooked pie shell. (For a fully cooked pie shell, return to the oven for 16 minutes.)