Whole Wheat Crust Recipe

Photo: Sara Remington
Try this whole wheat crust with the recipe for Bluebarb Pie.
Note: Whole wheat flour is slightly more challenging to work with because of its low gluten content, but adding vodka to the mix makes for a wonderful, workable dough. I keep (cheap) vodka in the freezer and the chill of it serves to cool down the rest of my ingredients as I mix the dough together.
Makes one 9-inch double crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat or whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup (4 Tbsp.) cold vegetable shortening
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) cold vodka
1/2 cup (8 Tbsp.) cold water, plus extra as needed
This recipe makes enough dough for a nine-inch top and a bottom crust. If you need only a bottom crust, you can freeze half of this recipe for up to 3 months and save it for later.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and sugar until everything is thoroughly combined. Add the butter and shortening and cut the mixture together using a pastry cutter until it forms small pea-size crumbs coated in flour.
Pour the vodka evenly over the dry ingredients, a few tablespoons at a time, using a rubber spatula to press the dough together. Similarly, add the water, and continue to press the dough together to form a large ball. The dough should be fairly wet and sticky; if for some reason it seems particularly dry, add a little extra ice water a tablespoon at a time until everything comes together easily. (Be careful to work the dough as little as possible; otherwise the crust may be tough.)
Divide the dough into two equal balls, press each into a disk, wrap each in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 2 days before rolling out.
From Teeny's Tour of Pie (Workman) by Teeny Lamothe.
Note: Whole wheat flour is slightly more challenging to work with because of its low gluten content, but adding vodka to the mix makes for a wonderful, workable dough. I keep (cheap) vodka in the freezer and the chill of it serves to cool down the rest of my ingredients as I mix the dough together.
Makes one 9-inch double crust
Ingredients
Directions
This recipe makes enough dough for a nine-inch top and a bottom crust. If you need only a bottom crust, you can freeze half of this recipe for up to 3 months and save it for later.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and sugar until everything is thoroughly combined. Add the butter and shortening and cut the mixture together using a pastry cutter until it forms small pea-size crumbs coated in flour.
Pour the vodka evenly over the dry ingredients, a few tablespoons at a time, using a rubber spatula to press the dough together. Similarly, add the water, and continue to press the dough together to form a large ball. The dough should be fairly wet and sticky; if for some reason it seems particularly dry, add a little extra ice water a tablespoon at a time until everything comes together easily. (Be careful to work the dough as little as possible; otherwise the crust may be tough.)
Divide the dough into two equal balls, press each into a disk, wrap each in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 2 days before rolling out.
From Teeny's Tour of Pie (Workman) by Teeny Lamothe.