Butter Pie Crust with Lattice Top

This recipe is mixed in a food processor. I plan to mix this up when the house is cool and wait to preheat the oven to make a pie, after creating the pie dough. To cut the lattice and lift it, I use a multi-purpose stainless-steel scraper. To chill the water, I put ½ cup in a small plastic container and set in the freezer. You could place ice cubes in a cup of water. The extra flour is sprinkled on the surface where you will roll out the dough and sprinkled on top as it is rolled out. If the crust sticks to the surface you rolled it on, you can use the scraper to gently loosen it up. Many a pie crust bottom has been patched together, pushing the dough together with fingertips.

Ingredients

All purpose flour, 2 ½ cups

Extra flour, ½-1 cup

Sugar, 1 tablespoon

Salt, ¾ teaspoon

Unsalted butter, one cup, chilled

Ice water, 6 tablespoons

Milk, 2 tablespoons

Preparation

Mix flour, sugar and salt briefly, in the food processor.

Cut the butter into tablespoon-size pieces and drop three in at a time, as you pulse the food processor.

You will notice a coarse meal forming.

Add in the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, running the food processor continuously.

The dough will clump together.

It is ready to be formed into two balls.

I made one ball larger than the other.

The bottom crust is a little larger than the one I used for the lattice top.

As described above, prep the area to roll out the dough.

I used a large wood cutting board covered with parchment paper.

The extra flour is used to cover all sides of the rolling pin.

I cut the lattice wide, at least two inches, about 1/8 inch thick.

The weaving is the artistry.

Crimp the edges, after the filling is added.

Using a pastry brush, brush with milk on top of the lattice, just before baking.

A pie filling recipe will come next week.