Plain Pastry (Pate Brisee)

Name: Plain Pastry (Pate Brisee)
Total time: 15 min
Yield: Makes one 2-crust 9-inch pie or two 9-inch pie shells
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: 2 cups sifted pastry or cake flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter; 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening or lard; 5 tablespoons ice water

By Robert Farrar Capon

Updated Nov. 8, 2022

Total Time: 15 minutes, plus chill time
Rating: 4(14)
Comments: Read comments

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Ingredients

Yield:Makes one 2-crust 9-inch pie or two 9-inch pie shells

2cups sifted pastry or cake flour
½teaspoon salt
½cup (1 stick) butter
3tablespoons vegetable shortening or lard
5tablespoons ice water

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the butter and shortening and cut them into the flour with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Step 2
Add the ice water quickly while tossing the flour-shortening mixture to distribute the moisture. Continue tossing until it begins to gather itself together. Form into a ball, divide in two and flatten each half into a thick round. Wrap in wax paper and chill thoroughly before rolling out.