SC - Re: Sad News

[Barbara Sall]

In general, when not making specific recipes, I usually use a 3-2-1 (ratio
of flour, fat, cold water) pie dough.  This may or may not have a pinch of
salt added.  I've grown fond of a 50-50 mix of Crisco and butter for the
fat, but the recipe works with almost any kind of solid shortening.  I am
also willing to admit I am not the great pie baker.  My hands are too hot to
properly work the dough, but I get by.

As an opinion, since I am not certain of the rationale behind the recipes
below, the baking powder is both a salt replacement and a mild leavening.
Baking powder breaks down when mixed with a liquid and produces miniscule
bubbles of carbon dioxide in the dough.  The reaction stops when the baking
powder is consumed, leaving a slightly aerated pie crust.  Because gluten
formation is very limited in pie doughs, the rise is very minimal.  How much
of the aeration would survive rolling out the dough is open to question.

As a salt replacement, I think it may be less likely to strengthen any
gluten strands which do form.  This would help make the crust more tender
than a crust made with salt, but I wonder if it would be noticeable given
the quantities involved.

Presumably, adding vinegar or lemon juice to the recipe is to add acetic or
citric acid.  I know of no effect they have on gluten, but it is possible
they will make it tender.  If baking powder or soda is used, they would
certainly accelerate the action.  If an egg is part of the recipe, the acid
will very likely coagulate the protein strands, which might actually toughen
the crust.

I have seen a pie crust recipe calling for cider vinegar which does not use
egg and with baking powder as an optional ingredient.  This suggests that
the vinegar may work on the gluten.

Bear

> >Contemplating Thanksgiving pies and was wondering if someone has an
> >explanation for why several of the modern piecrust recipes I've
> >accumulated call for small amounts of vinegar (one says 
> vinegar or lemon
> >juice).  I have two versions of this, and I think the other 
> unusual thing
> >they both call for is an egg, so maybe that has something to 
> do with it???
> >Chimene
> 
> Never heard of that.  Tonight while I was making up my pastry 
> dough, younger 
> daughter said with all the authority of Julia child that I 
> should add a 
> pinch of baking powder as it would make the crust more 
> tender.  Has anyone 
> ever heard of that?
> 
> Bonne
> (this is the daughter, Madeleine, who is getting madeline 
> tins for her 
> birthday next week.)
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