[Sca-cooks] Best bulk pie crust recipe?

[Stefan li Rous]

Madhavi asked:

<<< I am embarrassed to admit I have never made pie crusts from  
scratch for a feast. >>>

I;m not sure why you'd be embarrassed to admit this. I suspect that  
those on this list who *have* made pie crusts from scratch  
successfully, much less for a feast are in the minority.

<<< I am making chard and ricotta pies for a feast coming up, and I'd  
like to do covered coffin-style pies but I'm afraid a period hard  
crust would be seen as just "bad pie crust" around here.

I would prefer not to use vegetable shortening (yuck), but butter  
would be too expensive and lard means even fewer vegetarian dishes.  
Oil pastry doesn't have enough stability for a coffin-style pie.

What is your favorite bulk pastry recipe? Have you made hard pastry  
cases for feasts? How were they received? >>>

Are you talking about making a free-standing pie crust, not using a  
pie pan? You might some of the past commentary on this in this file  
in the FOOD section of the Florilegium to be of use:
pies-msg         (202K) 11/13/08    Period pie crusts, meat and fruit  
pies.

I am also in the process of editing a new file on dough-as-container  
but it isn't online yet. If you'd be interested in this let me know  
and I will see about finishing it and getting it online.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****