Pie Crust
Pie Crust is a traditional Elizabethan recipe for a pastry base (pie crust) that forms the basis of many Elizabethan recipes. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Elizabethan version of Pie Crust.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
20 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes
Serves:
6–8
Rating: 
Tags : Baking RecipesBritish Recipes
A wheat-based pie-crust is an essential of many European recipes. There are many modern recipes for pie bases and pie tops. However, these all rely on refined modern flour and many use margarine as the oil-based binding agent. In all likelihood Elizabethan flour would have been much coarser that even the coarsest modern flours and butter would have been used as a binding agent. The following recipe represents a compromise between the likely Elizabethan original and that which is palatable to modern tastes.
Ingredients:
175g plain flour
60g coarse whole wheat flour
75g unsalted butter (salted butter will also work, but do not add extra salt)
¼ tsp salt
twist of
black pepper
2½ tsp water
Method:
Take the butter from the fridge, cut into small cubes and leave on the side for at least half an hour to warm up. Meanwhile mix the flour together in a large bowl and add in the salt and pepper. When the butter has softened add this to the flour mixture and either cut into the butter with two knives. Alternatively use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour (this gives far better results) and keep rubbing until the texture resembles that of breadcrumbs.
Add the water a little at the time until the mixture binds together but is not too tough. This pastry dough should be good enough to roll immediately and is enough for one 22cm (9") pie. (If, however, the pastry is a little tough to roll out cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for about half an hour).
In Medieval times a thick pie crust of water and flour was also made, which can be used for recipes that do not specify a specific king of pie-crust. This, however, is much tougher and thicker than a standard pastry crust.
