Cutting in shortening is a crucial step in many baking recipes, especially pie dough - it's the technique that helps ensure flakiness. Cutting in is easy, but some ways are better than others.
Instructions
1. Make sure the shortening is chilled but not too cold. You should be able to mold it with your fingers.
2. Mix the dry ingredients, including flour, according to your recipe.
3. Cut the shortening into large chunks.
4. Add the shortening all at once to the dry ingredients.
5. Mix the shortening with your fingers so that each piece gets coated with dry ingredients.
6. Scoop up some of the coated pieces and loose flour. Rub the shortening pieces through your fingers, breaking them into smaller pieces.
7. Repeat step 6 until the mixture is loose and crumbly and resembles coarse meal. Different-sized pieces of shortening, plus a small amount of loose flour, create the ideal texture, especially for piecrust.
8. Continue with your recipe.
Tags: with your, your fingers, loose flour, with your fingers, your recipe