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Tenderflake Pie Crust

A tender, flaky, melt in the mouth pastry that is versatile in both sweet and savory dishes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course anytime, Breads Buns and Rolls, desserts, appetizers, pastry, crust, pie crust
Cuisine American, Canadian
Servings 6 9" pie shells

Equipment

  • 1 large bowl
  • 1 pastry blender *or 1 knives

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Tenderflake lard
  • cups all purpose flour
  • 1-2 tsp salt * I use 2 for savory pies, 1 for sweet *Up to you
  • 1 Tbsp White vinegar
  • 1 lg Egg, lightly beaten

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, mix together the 5½ cups all purpose flour and 1-2 tsp salt * I use 2 for savory pies, 1 for sweet
  • Add in the tenderflake lard and using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the lard until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal with a few larger pea sized pieces.
  • In a 1 cup measuring cup, add the egg and beat it a bit with a fork, then add the 1 Tbsp White vinegar and combine. Add water to egg and vinegar mixture to make 1 cup (250g) total liquid.
  • Gradually, while stirring, add the liquid mixture to the flour and tenderflake mixture. Add ONLY enough water to make the dough cling together. If it isn't coming together completely you can add cold water 1 Tbsp at a time and mix between additions.
  • Gather the dough into a ball and divide into 6 equal portions (4 if using deep pie plates or larger ones). Wrap and chill in fridge for 20 minutes or freeze if not using right away.
  • Once rested, roll out each dough ball on a lightly floured surface. If the dough is sticking, return to refrigerator and chill an additional hour.
  • Once rolled to your desired thickness, transfer the dough to the pie plate and trim or flute edges and bake according to your recipe.

Notes

This recipe uses 1 full pound of Tenderflake and yields 6 9" pie crusts.  If you are using deep dish pie plates or they are larger than 9" (mine are) you will get 4 crusts.
Keyword flaky pie crust, pie crust,, pie dough, tender pie crust