Whole Wheat Olive Oil Pie Crust Food

WHOLE WHEAT MEDITERRANEAN PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle or a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flours and salt and mix together. If using a bowl, make a well in the center, add the olive oil and mix in with a fork. If using a mixer or food processor, turn on and add the olive oil. When it is evenly distributed through the flour combine the water and vinegar or lemon juice and add it to the flour mixture with the machine running. The dough should come together in a ball.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, flour your hands and work the dough just until smooth and easy to shape into a ball. Do not overwork it or you will develop the gluten in the flour and the dough will be tough. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a ball and press into a 1/2-inch thick circle. Wrap in plastic and let rest for 1 hour.
• Roll out the dough as needed for savory tarts, dusting your work surface and the top of the dough with flour to prevent it from sticking. Pre-bake and bake as directed in recipes calling for the crust.

WHOLE WHEAT YEASTED OLIVE OIL PASTRY

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water, add the sugar, and allow to sit until the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and the olive oil. Combine the flours and salt, and stir into the yeast mixture. You can use a bowl and wooden spoon for this, or a mixer - combine the ingredients using the paddle. Work the dough until it comes together in a coherent mass, adding flour as necessary. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead gently for a few minutes, adding flour as necessary, just until the dough is smooth - do not overwork it. Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a draft-free spot until doubled in size, about one hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently knead a couple of times, and cut into two equal pieces (or as directed in each of this week's recipes). Shape each piece into a ball without kneading it. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest for five minutes. Then roll out into thin rounds, as directed in each recipe, and line pans. If not using right away, freeze the dough to prevent it from rising and becoming too bready. The dough can be transferred directly from the freezer to the oven.

WHOLE WHEAT OLIVE OIL PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Place olive oil in the freezer until it solidifies and is of a consistency similar to thick honey. (I checked it every 30 minutes or so. I'm not sure how long it took. Probably 3 or 4 hours.).
• Once the olive oil solidifies place flour, salt and baking powder into a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until a dough ball forms. Place ball in an air tight container or plastic wrap and put in the fridge for an hour or so to chill. (I left it overnight).
• Roll ball out until 1/8 inch thick and put into a pie plate. Use as you would a regular pie crust. I prebaked it before adding the quiche filling.

OIL PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt together. Pour milk and oil into one measuring cup, do not stir, and add all at once to flour. Stir until mixed, and shape into 2 flat balls. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or more.
• Roll out on lightly floured surface.

WHOLE WHEAT PIE CRUST WITH OATS

Steps:

• Place oats in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely ground.
• Transfer ground oats to a medium bowl; stir in flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons water. Blend with a fork until mixture holds together, adding up to 1 tablespoon more water if necessary.
• With minimal shaping, form dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured sheet of waxed paper. Place another sheet of waxed paper on top and roll dough into a 1/8-inch thick circle large enough to fit a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. (This dough breaks more easily than a white flour dough; the wax paper helps with that.)
• Remove top sheet of waxed paper and invert dough into the pie plate. Slowly peel away remaining sheet of waxed paper and trim any excess crust. Turn dough edge under and crimp as desired.
• Crust is ready to fill. See notes if your recipe requires a pre-baked crust.

WHOLE-WHEAT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Standard method (by hand): In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt with a table fork. Taste it for salt. If you feel you need a little more, now is the time to add it. Dump the coconut oil into the middle of it and, before you do anything else, fill the cup you used for the coconut oil half way with ice, then add water until it is almost full. You want to give enough time for the water to get ice cold.
• Still using the same fork, cut the coconut oil into the flour mixture until it is in almost microscopic pieces. You want them to be very small and well integrated into the flour. At this point, pour just a couple of tablespoons of water into the flour mixture. Working quickly and lightly with the same fork, gently mix the water into just the section of the dough that the water hit when it went into the bowl. Add a couple of more tablespoons of water (just estimate with your eyes) in to another section of the flour mixture in the bowl and quickly mix it inches You may need to add more water to your ice in your cup.
• At this point, the dough may be trying to hold together a bit, and that's a good thing. Continue to work little bits of water in until the dough just starts to hold together fairly well when you press it with your hands.
• If you have a food processor, the process is even easier: Instead of mixing in a bowl, put the flour and salt into your processor with the blades attached and pulse to combine them. Unplug, then taste for salt (you don't want to whack your fingers off!). Now add in the coconut oil and fill the cup it was in with ice and water. While the water chills, pulse the coconut into the flour mixture until you can't see any chunks anymore. Adding just a tablespoon or two at a time, pulse the water into the flour mixture. When it just begins to hold together, you are ready to shape it.
• At this point, regardless of the mixing method, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, keeping the water nearby. Roll the dough out, aiming for a round-ish shape. Be prepared- it is probably going to crumble a bit. That is what the remaining water is for. Use the cold water as glue to hold pieces of dough together and continue flouring (to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin) and rolling until the dough is the thickness and size you want for your pie plate. You don't want to over-roll, as handling it too much will toughen it, but do roll it wide enough for about an inch of hangover on the sides once it is in the pan.
• Gently fold the dough around the rolling pin and use it to transfer the dough to the pie plate. Carefully press the dough into the bottom of the plate and shape the edge of your crust however you want (I usually roll mine under and pinch it to seal and make a pretty edge). It's probably not going to look picture-perfect, but this is the sign of a homemade crust.
• Continue on with whichever your recipe you are making. This works as well for a quiche or pot pie as it does for a dessert pie.
• If you have leftover pie crust, roll it out again and cut it into short strips (shape does not matter). Sprinkle with cane sugar and cinnamon and bake in the oven at 375 for 8-10 minutes, or until light brown. If you have small children this is a great time to give them your already dusty cutting board and rolling pin, along with some cookie cutters and whatever else you trust them with, and let them make their own "pie crust cookies". You don't need to worry about them nibbling dough, as there is nothing in this that will really hurt them. (Although they may not be hungry for dinner.) My kids used to have a lot of fun doing this! I would always bake their creations and let them have them as a special treat.