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My lard is driving me crazy!
http://cookaholics.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3182		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Emilie [ Fri Jun 07, 2013 11:27 pm ]
Post subject:  My lard is driving me crazy!
So I've been having a love affair with leaf lard ever since Amy told us about Dietrich's Meats as a source. It makes the most amazing biscuits I've ever had. But pie crusts are a bit of a quandry. They are also absolutely delicious -- so much more tender than all butter or butter and shortening (I do a combination of lard and butter -- the last recipe I used was CI's classic single-crust pie dough and I just subbed the lard for the shortening). The problem is that they shrink like CRAZY. I blind bake them with enough pie weights to almost fill up the dish, for about 30 minutes. Then I take the weights out and bake for another 15 or so. The crust browns but the sides sink way down and the end result is a crust significantly shorter.

I thought that I'd triumph over it tonight when I made the sides a full 1/2" above the rim of the pie dish. But it still slid down once I took out the pie weights. Fortunately it still worked fine for a CI key lime pie filling, but I'd love to know how to get around the problem. Amy? Anybody?

Thanks,

Emilie
Author:  jim262 [ Sat Jun 08, 2013 6:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My lard is driving me crazy!
Some possible remedies to a shrinking problem are: lower protein flour and freezing formed crust thoroughly before baking, If you already use White Lily and freeze your crust, I probably cannot help very much.
Author:  jeanf [ Sat Jun 08, 2013 8:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My lard is driving me crazy!
Emilie, I make this one from Canadian Livning (although I use a food processor version) and it does shrink a bit, but less when it's been chilled after forming. So if I have time I freeze. Here's the recipe to compare.

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/pie_pastry.php

This site has several versions of crust that all use lard, some have egg and vinegar and some do not. One I just found there uses 7up for the liquid. Interesting.
Author:  Amy [ Sat Jun 08, 2013 2:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My lard is driving me crazy!
Emilie,

While I've never blind baked this, I use Kenji's recipe frequently, using half lard, half butter (by weight). I get very little shrinkage, but as I said, I've never blind baked it. You may want to give it a whirl. And I know what you mean about tender crust...leaf lard makes such a huge difference.

Amy
Author:  gardnercook [ Sat Jun 08, 2013 4:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My lard is driving me crazy!
I blind bake Kenji's recipe ( but haven't tried it with lard) and do not have much shrinkage....best crust I have ever made
Author:  Emilie [ Sat Jun 08, 2013 11:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My lard is driving me crazy!
Thanks for the replies, all. I froze the 2nd and 3rd crusts last night and blind baked them this morning and there was no improvement (the pic below is after I filled one with coconut cream filling. It worked fine but the crust shrank a full inch down the sides). So the next time I make a crust I'll try a lower-protein flour. I do use KAF A-P for my baking so perhaps that's a contributor.

I've made Kenji's crust recipe before, but not since I started using lard. So I'll try that too. And the Canadian Living one looks interesting. Might do that one and Kenji's side-by-side and compare. Will report back once I do.

Thanks again!

Emilie
Author:  cmd2012 [ Sun Jun 09, 2013 8:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My lard is driving me crazy!
Emilie,

Is it shrinking or just slumping? I bake my crusts with a lard/butter combo and they slump like crazy. So, I blind bake with the weights longer than the recipes call for as this type of crust seems to take longer to set up. I fill to the brim with the weights, and don't take the weights out to brown the crust until it is fully firm (I keep my pie weights in an oven bag, so i can easily pull them out to check the crust and if its not fully set, I'll just plunk them back in and keep going). I use an Emile Henry pie plate, which I have found takes longer to cook in as well.
Author:  fitzie [ Mon Jun 10, 2013 6:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My lard is driving me crazy!
Have you considered a different pie dish?

fitzie
Author:  Emilie [ Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My lard is driving me crazy!
Carey, you're right! It IS slumping, not shrinking, because now that I think about it, there's excess dough around the bottom of the sides. I just automatically assumed it was shrinking because that's a common problem. I did bake it 5 minutes longer the last time with the weights in it, but next time I'll keep them in until it's really set. And I have Emile Henry dishes as well and didn't think about the fact that they'd take longer to heat up than a glass dish. Thanks so much for suggesting that!!

Oh, and just fyi, despite my shrinkage/slumpage :lol: issues, the pies were delicious. The lard is an amazing addition, and I also found that leaving them out during dinner (about an hour), even if they're intended to be served cold (in this case, key lime from CI but not with graham crust, coconut cream and chocolate cream from Flour), they were noticeably superior than straight from the fridge. Not only did the crust soften a tad, but the fillings seemed creamier.

In fact, I'm going to sneak out to the fridge now and grab the last piece before someone gets to it.

Emilie
Author:  Emilie [ Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My lard is driving me crazy!
p.s. Fitzie, the Emile Henry dishes are so fabulous I'll never use anything else if I can help it. They wash beautifully and the pie never sticks. They're pricey, but I've been able to get 2 at the W-S outlet a couple of hours away.

Oh -- and one more pie tidbit -- I saw a tip a while back on an ATK episode that really works. Slice two pieces of pie before removing the first slice. It makes the first slice come out way easier than otherwise.
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