Double Mix Butter Pie Crust

You will need a food processor for this recipe.

1st Mix Ingredients:
¾ Cup (3.8 oz.) All Purpose Flour (weigh for accuracy)
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) COLD! unsalted butter.  ¼ tsp. salt if using salted butter (Cut into small cubes) (weigh for accuracy)

2nd Mix Ingredients:
½ Cup (2.5 oz.) All Purpose Flour (weigh for accuracy)
2 Tbsp.  Course shredded (use a box grater) FROZEN  unsalted butter
4 Tbsp. water (ice cold!)

Crust will have enough dough for single pie crust on a 9 or 10 inch pie plate.  If you are doing a double crust pie you will need to double everything in recipe.

Directions:
In the mixing stage, this dough will be more moist than most pie dough, but as it chills it will absorb a lot of excess moisture, becoming supple and workable.

1.  Grate 2 tablespoons butter on large holes of box grater and place in freezer. Cut remaining 8 tablespoons butter into ½-inch cubes and put in refrigerator.

2.  Pulse ¾ cup flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, 2 pulses. Add cubed butter and process until homogeneous paste forms, about 30- 60 seconds. Using your hands, carefully break paste into 2-inch chunks and redistribute evenly around processor blade. Add remaining ½ cup flour and pulse until mixture is broken into pieces no larger than 1 inch (most pieces will be much smaller), 4 to 8 pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add grated butter and toss until butter pieces are separated and coated with flour.

3.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Toss with rubber spatula (or large blending fork) until mixture is evenly moistened. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons ice water over mixture and toss to combine. Press dough with spatula until dough sticks together. Transfer dough to sheet of plastic wrap. Draw edges of plastic over dough and press firmly on sides and top to form compact, fissure-free mass. Wrap in plastic and flatten to form 5-inch disk. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Let chilled dough sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes, before rolling. (Wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.)

4.  Roll dough into 12-inch circle on well-floured counter. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll it onto 9-inch pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang around edge. Ease dough into plate corners by gently lifting edge of dough with your hand while pressing into plate bottom with your other hand.

5.  Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of plate. Tuck overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of plate. Crimp dough evenly around edge of plate using your fingers. Refrigerate or freeze until the dough gets VERY cold and almost frozen.

Blind Baking your Pie Crust
- If you are making a Lemon pie or custard pie you will need to bake (blind bake) your crust before adding the filling.
- Make sure your pie crust is completely chilled almost frozen. You should put in the freezer for about 20 minutes to get to this state. You want it just soft enough that you can still poke holes in it with a fork. 
- Heat oven to 350° F.
- Preheat a baking sheet to put your pie plate on.
- Line your Pie Crust with Aluminum Foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice.
- Poke holes in the bottom and sides of the very cold pie crust.
- Place in oven on the preheated baking sheet on a lower rack in oven.  Lower third of your oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Take out of oven and take pie weights out.
- Brush the crust with an egg wash ( 1 egg and a teaspoon of water beaten).
- Cover outer crust with tin foil or a pie shield to avoid a burnt outer crust.
- Rotate in opposite direction and immediately put back in oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes at 350° F.  or until it looks lightly brown and dried out.

Let crust cool completely in plate on wire rack, about 30 minutes.

Par Baking your Pie Crust
If your pie recipe calls for par baking simply reduce your baking times above.
For the 1st bake, bake for only 20 minutes
For the 2nd bake, bake for only 5 to 7 minutes.

Let crust cool completely in plate on wire rack, about 30 minutes.