Are those dishes which consist either of meat, or of fruit, covered with
a farinaceous crust, enriched with butter or other fat, and rendered fit
for eating by baking.
The crust of the pie is usually made of two parts by weight of wheaten
flour, and one part of butter, lard, or other fat.
The flour is made into a stiff paste with cold water, and rolled out on
a board with a paste pin to the thickness of about one quarter of an
inch, the board being previously sprinkled over with flour to prevent
the dough from sticking to the board. About one-sixth part of the
butter, in pieces of the size of a nutmeg, is put over the extended
paste, and the whole again dusted with flour; the paste is then doubled
up and rolled out as before. A like portion of butter is again
distributed over the paste, which, after being doubled up, is rolled
out, and the same operation is repeated till the whole quantity of
butter is thus incorporated with the flour.
Part of the paste is then laid, one quarter or half an inch in
thickness, over the inside of a deep dish in which the pie is to be
baked, and the meat, cut in chops or slices, is put into the dish,
together with the seasonings, and a portion of water or gravy, about one
tea cup full, to one pound of meat. The contents of the basin are then
covered with a lid, made of the remainder of the paste, rolled out
rather thicker than the inside lining of the dish, and the lid is made
to adhere to the inside sheeting, which should extend over the rim of
the dish, by pressing the top paste close upon the margin. A few small
holes are then made in the top crust, and the pie is put in the oven.
The baking should be slow. If the pie be put into a hot oven, the crust
becomes hard, and many a cook is blamed for making bad pies, when the
fault really lies with the baker. A light and flaky pie crust can only
be produced by the judicious application in the manner stated, of the
butter, or fatty matter. By this means the butter is distributed, in
distinct layers, through the mass of the pie crust. The flour dusted
over each layer prevents the paste forming one mass, or, as it is
called, becoming heavy. The more frequently, therefore, the paste is
rolled out with butter, lard, or other fat, interposed between each
layer, provided the layers are dusted over with flour, the more flaky
will be the pie; and hence, also, by increasing the quantity of butter,
to a certain limit, the flakeness of the pie crust becomes increased.
Pastry cooks usually allow from ten to twelve ounces of butter to one
pound of flour for making a light puff paste, such as they use for tarts
and patties.