GREEN
MAKES 1 DISK OF PIE DOUGH, TO MAKE A SINGLE-CRUST PIE
1¼ cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)
½ cup (1 stick/113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup (118 milliliters) cold fresh spinach juice
MANUAL METHOD
1. Keep the spinach juice in the refrigerator until step 5.
2. Put the flour, salt, and poppy seeds, if using, in a large bowl and stir with a spatula to combine.
3. Sprinkle in the butter cubes and toss until each cube is coated in the flour mixture.
4. Flatten each cube of butter with your pointer fingers and thumbs. Toss again to coat the flattened butter pieces. Continue massaging the butter into the flour until the remaining shards resemble cornflakes in a range of sizes.
5. Remove the spinach juice from the refrigerator. Add 2 tablespoons of the juice and fluff the moisture through the flour with a spatula. Continue adding juice 1 tablespoon at a time, pressing the dough with a spatula after each addition until it begins to come together. Avoid any heavy kneading, as overworking the dough will lead to a tough crust.
6. If the dough still has quite a bit of dry mix and doesn’t hold together when a handful is squeezed, add a little more juice. Be careful not to add too much liquid (usually 3 to 5 tablespoons total are sufficient). The dough should be smooth and supple. If the dough is quite tacky, you’ve likely added too much liquid. Try gently incorporating a little more flour. If it is still very sticky, I suggest starting over with a new batch of ingredients. Overly hydrated dough will be difficult to roll out and utilize in these designs, and the crust will likely be tough when baked. Pie fries or pie cookies may be a suitable option for keeping the handling to a minimum and avoiding outright waste of the dough.
7. When the dough begins to hold together, turn it out onto your work surface and gently form it into a rounded mound with your hands. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic, then gently press it into a round, flat disk, about 5 inches in diameter and 1 inch in thickness. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight before rolling. Resting the dough in the fridge allows the gluten to relax and the dough to fully hydrate, and prevents shrinkage during baking. If you plan to freeze the pie dough, do so only after the rest period of at least 3 hours in the fridge.
8. Use the dough in the recipe of your choice.
FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD
1. Keep the spinach juice in the refrigerator until step 4.
2. Put the flour, salt, and poppy seeds, if using, in a food processor and pulse several times to incorporate. Sprinkle the butter cubes evenly over the surface of the dry mixture and pulse quickly 20 to 25 times to break up the cubes into smaller jaggedy pieces.
3. Turn the mixture out into a large mixing bowl. Sift through with a spatula for unprocessed butter cubes and flatten any pieces larger than a pecan half with your pointer finger and thumb.
4. Remove the spinach juice from the refrigerator. Add 2 tablespoons of the juice and stir through with a spatula. Continue adding juice 1 tablespoon at a time, pressing the dough with your hands or a spatula after each addition until it begins to come together. Avoid any heavy kneading, as overworking the dough will lead to a tough crust.
5. If the dough still has quite a bit of dry mix and doesn’t hold together when a handful is squeezed, add a little more juice. Be careful not to add too much liquid (usually 3 to 5 tablespoons total are sufficient). The dough should be smooth and supple. If the dough is quite tacky, you’ve likely added too much liquid. Try gently incorporating a little more flour. If it is still very sticky, I suggest starting over with a new batch of ingredients. Overly hydrated dough will be difficult to roll out and utilize in these designs, and the crust will likely be tough when baked. Pie fries or pie cookies may be a suitable option for keeping the handling to a minimum and avoiding outright waste of the dough.
6. When the dough begins to hold together, turn it out onto your work surface and gently form it into a mound with your hands. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic, then gently press it into a round, flat disk, about 5 inches in diameter and 1 inch in thickness. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight before rolling. Resting the dough in the fridge allows the gluten to relax and the dough to fully hydrate, and prevents shrinkage during baking. If you plan to freeze the pie dough, do so only after the rest period of at least 3 hours in the fridge.
7. Use the dough in the recipe of your choice.
SPINACH JUICE
½ pound fresh baby spinach
BLENDER METHOD (MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP/177 MILLILITERS)
1. Combine the spinach and ½ cup (118 milliliters) water in a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing the pulp with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the pulp and pass the liquid through the sieve one additional time.
3. Chill the juice in the refrigerator until cold before using.
ELECTRIC JUICER METHOD (MAKES JUST OVER ½ CUP/118 MILLILITERS)
1. Run the spinach through an electric juicer. Discard the remaining pulp and pass the juice through a fine-mesh sieve twice. Skim off any residual foam.
2. Chill the juice in the refrigerator until cold before using.