Over the years, I’ve tried many pie crust recipes and found several I really liked…until I would freeze them and roll out later. They would then be hard to work with and very frustrating. This recipe freezes great and rolls out perfectly every time. A keeper!
1/3cupchilled lard, cut into chunks (may substitute chilled butter in place of the lard)
12Tbs.chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1" slices, divided use
1/4cupchilled vodka, may substitute ice water, if necessary, though the vodka contributes greatly to the flaky-ness of the baked and finished crust
2-3Tbs.ice water
Instructions
Place flour, salt, and sugar into food processor bowl; pulse a few times to combine. Add lard and 4 Tbs. butter to bowl and pulse until mixture is a fine meal.
Add remaining 8 Tbs. butter and pulse until mixture has pea-size pieces. Drizzle vodka and water over mixture and pulse just until dough comes together in a large chunk on one side of the food processor bowl.
Remove dough from food processor bowl and divide in half. Shape each half into a fat, round, disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap; use right away or store dough in the freezer. (To freeze, place wrapped dough discs into a freezer bag and seal. Pie crust dough may be frozen for up to six months.)