Quiche Crust

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour (i use unbleached)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, cold
• 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into small chunks
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons ice water

Recipe

• 1 preparing the dough.
• 2 by hand:.
• 3 in a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt.
• 4 using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter and vegetable shortening into the flour until it resembles coarse meal.
• 5 in a small bowl, whisk together the egg and ice water.
• 6 stirring with a fork, add only enough of this to the flour/butter mixture for the dough to start holding together.
• 7 food processor method:.
• 8 place the flour and salt into the work bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly.
• 9 in a small bowl, whisk together the egg and ice water.
• 10 as you pulse the machine, add only enough of the egg/ice water mixture through the feed tube for the flour/butter mixture to start holding together.
• 11 forming the crust:.
• 12 collect the pastry and form it into a ball on a lightly floured surface.
• 13 gently press the ball into a flat circle about 1 inch thick.
• 14 cover it with plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes before rolling it out.
• 15 it can be refrigerated overnight at this point or frozen for later use.
• 16 when ready to use, sprinkle the work surface with more flour and roll the pastry into a 16-inch circle, 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick.
• 17 lightly butter a 10 inch quiche or pie pan.
• 18 gently press the dough into the pan.
• 19 tuck the excess dough under to form a thick edge.
• 20 crimp the edges decoratively with your fingers or a fork.
• 21 refrigerate the crust until you are ready to use it in your favorite quiche recipe.
• 22 not necessary to pre-bake before using however, if using with the artichoke, leek and ham quiche filling #200905, partially bake at 350f for 10 minutes before adding the filling and baking.