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Tenderflake Pie Pastry and Variations

Tenderflake® Pie Pastry with Variations

The recipe for the flakiest pie pastry has been found on the side of the Tenderflake® box almost since the beginning of time. My grandmother used it, my mother used it. It has been used by generations of women on the Canadian prairies and is undoubtedly the "go-to" recipe for the best-ever pie pastry. I sometimes use 1/2 lard and 1/2 butter for some recipes. I also use 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 white flour for other recipes. Either way, the formula cannot be messed with if you want a flaky crust. Yield: 3 9-inch double crust pies or 6 pie shells.
Course Dough
Cuisine Canadian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 6 crusts
Author Tenderflake® and Valerie Lugonja

Ingredients

  • 5½ cups or 850g of all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp or 10 g salt
  • 1 pound or 465 grams Tenderflake® lard , rendered lard, or 1/2 lard and 1/2 butter, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon or 15 grams vinegar
  • 1 egg , lightly beaten
  • Ice Water

Instructions

  1. Whisk flour and salt; cut in ice cold fat until it is pea sized or looks like slow cooking raw oats
  2. In a 1 cup liquid measure, combine vinegar and egg; add ice water to make 1 cup
  3. Gradually pour liquid around the edges of the mixture, mixing by hand, adding only enough for dough to cling together
  4. Form gently into a ball; divide into 6 equal portions on counter
  5. Wrap and label portions
  6. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes if you are using right away, or
  7. Freeze for future use by placing wrapped pastry dough in container, tightly sealed
  8. When ready to use, roll out each portion on lightly floured surface; If pastry dough is sticking, chill for another hour or two
  9. Transfer rolled pastry dough to pie plate
  10. Trim and flute shells or crusts and bake according to your pie recipe

Instructions for the Thermomix:

  1. Weigh 850 grams flour and 10 grams salt into TM bowl; whisk for 3 seconds at speed 1-2

  2. Weigh 1/2 of 465 grams ice cold fat into TM bowl; cut into flour for 3-5 seconds at Turbo

  3. Weigh in remaining fat; cut into flour from 0-10 for 5 seconds

  4. In a 1 cup liquid measure, combine vinegar and egg; add ice water to make 1 cup

  5. Empty dry ingredients with fat cut into it into large bowl; gradually pour liquid around the edges of mixture, combining by hand, adding only enough for dough to cling together

  6. Form gently into a ball; divide into 6 equal portions

  7. Wrap and label portions; rest for 15-30 minutes before using, or

  8. Freeze by placing wrapped pastry dough in container or labelled and dated freezer bag, tightly sealed

  9. Thaw in fridge the night prior to using; roll each portion on lightly floured surface: If dough is sticky, chill for longer period

  10. Transfer rolled pastry dough to pie plate; trim and flute shells or crusts and bake according to your pie recipe

Recipe Notes

I use a sleeve on my rolling pin which avoids any sticking. Rolling pastry dough on parchment paper makes for easy clean up (I reuse it, of course!)
Pastry flour or all purpose flour will use less liquid than whole wheat flour.
Adding herbs and spices, whole or ground nuts and seeds, cocoa or other flavours adds a lovely dimension to this pastry recipe