SaraLeann's Pie Crust

Directions

1. Add flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor (or blender) and pulse briefly to combine.

2. Add sour cream and butter cubes over the top the mixture and pulse until the mixture is well combined and forms chunky balls similar to a cookie dough texture. If you pinch the dough between your thumb and forefinger and it sticks together, you are ready to move on.

3. Lightly flour a clean and dry surface.

   Turn out dough onto floured surface. It may come out in several chunky pieces and that’s ok. Press all the pieces together to form a ball. Flatten ball into a round shape and roll out to a 12 inch circle. Add flour as needed to avoid dough from sticking to the counter. Arrange dough crust into a pie plate and crimp, flute or use a pie wheel for the edges. You can also fold under the extra dough and press a fork along the edge.

   I recommend using a 9 to 9 1/2 pie plate, my favorite pie plate is the cast iron Lodge 9 inch pie pan.

4. Place dough in refrigerator to chill for at least 30-45 minutes and prep pie fillings.

Blind Bake

1. To blind bake this pie crust (bake it completely without any filling/topping so it may cool and be filled with a filling that does not need to be baked). There are two ways you can blind bake. You may prepare the pie dough and arrange it into the pie dish to chill in the refrigerator in the dish OR

   After combining the pie ingredients, press chunks into a ball and flatten down into a thick round patty. Wrap tightly in plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 45-60 minuets or overnight

2. After pie dough has chilled, remove from refrigerator.

   If you are removing a pie dough that is already arranged in a pie plate, skip the next step.

3. Turn out the pie dough on a clean, dry & lightly floured surface.

   Roll out pie dough and arrange in your pie plate.

   It may be a little stiff and hard to work at first but as it warms it will become easier. Lightly re-flour surface as needed to avoid the pie dough sticking to the counter and pin.

4. Place pie plate in the freezer for at least 20 minutes while you preheat oven to 375 F

5. Once the oven is preheated, line crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights.

6. Place pie plate on a baking sheet and transfer to oven.

7. Bake for 15 minutes

8. Carefully remove from oven.

   Remove pie weights and parchment paper.

9. Return to over and continue baking until the pie crust is beginning to turn a golden brown color, about 8-12 minutes.

10. Remove, let cool and add fillings.