Spelt Pie Crust
Spelt is a non-hybrid grain harvested in Asia, long before it made its way to Europe over 9000 years ago. It’s rich nutty flavor enhances this pastry to go well with hearty fillings like Not Your Mom’s Chicken Pot Pie or sweet filling like Old-fashioned Pecan Pie . This recipe works well with other type of flour like rye, whole-wheat or buckwheat when mixed with all-purpose.
Makes two 9-inch pie crust or one 9-inch double crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup spelt flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup (6 tablespoons) vegetable shortening
1/3 cup ice water, plus 2-4 more tablespoons as needed
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Place the all-purpose flour, spelt flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse meal with small peas. Go through with you fingertips and blend any large pieces of butter into the flour mixture. Do this quickly so the butter remains cold.
Add the vinegar to 1/3 cup of the water cup and pour around the edges of the flour, mixing and blending it with a fork to moisten the flour, working from the outer edges of the flour. The dough will start to come together as one piece, if it is still too dry add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it holds together when pressed with your fingers.
Lightly dust your hands and work surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and press together. Divide the dough into 2 pieces and form each piece into a flat round disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days.
Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerated and place on a lightly floured surface. If the dough is too hard let it sit 5-10 minutes before rolling. Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough to form a circle about 12-inches, about 1//8-inch thick. Fold the dough in half or gently roll it up onto the rolling pin and lift to put in the 9-inch pie pan. Press the dough lightly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
Trim the edges of the dough with a pair of kitchen shears, leaving about 1/2-inche of dough draping over the side. Turn the extra dough under itself. Crimp the edge of the pie or flatten it with the tines of a fork. Cover the crust with plastic wrap and refrigerate or place in the freezer at least 1 hour before baking. At this point the crust can be frozen for up to 2 months, this way you always have a piecrust on hand.