Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dough Components
- 160 g all-purpose flour
- 2 g salt
- 85 g unsalted european-style butter, chilled and cut into 1.3cm (1/2 inch) pieces
- 57 g lard, chilled and cut into 1.3cm (1/2 inch) pieces
- 30 ml water, ice cold
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 213 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 99 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 30 mg
- Potassium
- 24 mg
- Calcium
- 6 mg
- Iron
- 0.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 5 mg
- Phosphorus
- 24 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 73 mcg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.16 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.10 mg
- Niacin
- 1.2 mg
- Folate
- 37 mcg
- Water
- 8 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly to mix.
Add the chilled butter and lard pieces to the flour mixture.
Pulse the mixture until the fats are broken down into pieces roughly the size of chickpeas. If working by hand, use a pastry blender to cut the fats into the flour in a mixing bowl.
Add the ice water gradually, approximately 15ml (1 tablespoon) at a time, while pulsing or stirring.
Continue mixing only until the dough begins to hold together when pressed; do not overwork.
Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disc, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours before rolling out.
Chef's Notes
- Using European-style butter provides a higher fat content and less water, which contributes to a flakier texture.
- The combination of lard and butter provides the structural benefits of lard with the flavor of butter.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep tightly wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent drying.
Freezer: 3 months — Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before rolling.
Troubleshooting
Dough is tough and shrinks during baking
Cause: Overworking the dough, which develops too much gluten.
Fix: Allow the dough to rest longer in the refrigerator to relax the gluten.
Prevention: Pulse only until the dough just comes together; avoid excessive kneading.
Crust is not flaky
Cause: Fats became too warm and melted into the flour before baking.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once the fat has melted into the flour.
Prevention: Ensure butter, lard, and water are ice-cold; work quickly to maintain temperature.
Cultural Context
Lard pie crust is a classic American baking technique, particularly popular in the early to mid-20th century. Lard, a rendered pork fat, was historically readily available and affordable, contributing to exceptionally flaky and tender pastry. While butter is now more common, many traditional bakers still favor a blend for its superior texture.
