Bourbon Barley Pie Crust
This recipe uses the technique and science behind the Bourbon Pie Crust, while also using different flours and other no as commonly found in pie crust ingredients. Most pie crusts us an all-purpose flour. While there is nothing wrong with this ingredient, thinking about a pie crust as a vessel, as a shell, to hold a filling, savory or sweet. A quiche is something that can have a rich custard base, filled with vegetables, cheeses, meats and other delicious ingredient combinations. The crust not only aides to the architecture in the ability to seal the filling from the pan, leakage and a way to remove it safely from that pan, it adds flavor, texture and a contrast with it’s crisp buttery crunch. This Bourbon Barley Pie Crust is a heftier pie crust.
The use of barley flour is not new. When we look at availability of ingredients, many used was was locally and seasonally available. Barley flour is milled barley, usually raw from the fields, cleaned and having been de-husked. The composition of barley and it’s vitamins, minerals and proteins differ from a standard all-purpose flour. The inner husk adds bran to the flour, resulting in more soluble and insoluble fibers. it is also lower on the glycemic index. When added to baked goods, it brings a nut like attribute, while keeping a tender texture. Adding barley flour to this Bourbon Pie Crust enhances the nuttiness of a nut pie. Try it in my Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout Pecan Pie recipe.
If you are wanting most of these benefits, but wanting a less ‘whole wheat’ appearance, than try Pearl Barley Flour. This polished barley has had most of it’s hull removed. This is how it differs from just barley flour.
To make this pie crust come together, with out being too dry, not worrying about creating a tough crust, I use Bourbon instead of water. Whether you use a high quality Bourbon Whiskey, a Whisky or a Scotch Whisky, they range from 40% ABV (80 Proof) and upwards, depending if they are cask strength or not, is up to you. thinking about the ABV % or Proof is important for pie crust making as these brown spirits have less water and thereby more alcohol. Using the same amount of Bourbon as you would water, is 40% less water… This is relevant as alcohol, when mixed with flour, does not create gluten. And furthermore, that alcohol cooks out at the temperatures when you are pre-baking a pie crust. All these advantages for using a Bourbon, including the flavor element, make a better pie crust. Unlike water, If you add more bourbon, the pie dough is easier to work, roll out and form in a pie plate |tin, and the results are still better than water.
Makes: 2 pie crusts
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| Servings | Prep Time |
| 12 slice | 20 minute |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 50 - 60 minute | 1 hour |
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- 1 1/2 cup flour, unbleached all purpose
- 1/2 cup flour, barley
- 1/2 cup flour, pastry
- 3 tablespoon Dry Malt Extract, (DME), Light available at Beer Beer and More Beer
- 1 teaspoon salt, sea
- 8 ounce butter, unsalted, European style, ice cold, cut into small cubes
- 4 - 5 tablespoon Bourbon, ice cold
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the flours, DME and salt. Pulse several times to mix the ingredients together. Add the cold butter cubes to the bowl and pulse a few times to cut the fat into the flour mixture.
- Keep pulsing until the mixture has small grain size chunks of fat evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- With the motor running, quickly add the whiskey until the mixture just forms a ball. Since the alcohol mixed with flour cannot form gluten like water and flour can, over mixing isn’t as much of an issue with this crust. Plus the alcohol will evaporate (40% alcohol), resulting in a flaky crust. Form the dough into two equal size balls. Take plastic wrap and wrap each ball of dough, pressing down on each to create a disk. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to re-chill, while fully hydrating the flour, making it easier to work with and helping the crust from shrinking as it cooks.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F | 177°C. Take one dough ball and roll it out to ¼ of an inch thick round on a lightly floured surface. If you don’t have a rolling pin, use a 22 oz bottle that is chilled will also work. Place it in your pie dish or tin. Crimp the edges of the crust and set aside. Use the second pie crust for another pie or another application like turn overs | pop tarts.
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