Image zoom Credit: Johnny Miller
One of the prerequisites of working in the Martha Stewart test kitchen is being able to make a Martha-approved, flaky yet tender pie crust that looks as pretty as it is delicious. It s not a test of skill, but rather a test of your knowledge, as every great baker knows to follow a simple set of rules when making crusts. One non-negotiable is using ice cold water. If you aren t already chilling the water before making pie crust, doing so could be a total game changer.
At first glance it is very simple: combine three ingredients, flour, fat, and water (plus salt and sugar, if desired) and the result is a pie crust. However, the key lies in how the ingredients interact. Our Pie Crust 101 details all the steps to success, but not the why behind it. The two overarching themes are that the dough should be kept cold and the flour should not be overworked or over-hydrated. Ice w