Pieometry

DENIM-WASH BLUE

MAKES 1 DISK OF PIE DOUGH, TO MAKE A SINGLE-CRUST PIE

The butterfly pea flower powder is optional in this recipe but is incredibly effective at creating a deep, bake-resilient blue-colored dough.

1¼ cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour

½ tablespoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ tablespoon butterfly pea flower powder (optional)

½ cup (1 stick/113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

½ cup (118 milliliters) cold butterly pea flower tea

Butterfly pea flowers are a blossom from southeast Asia. I source my food-grade dried butterfly pea flowers online.

MANUAL METHOD

1. Keep the strained butterfly pea flower tea in the refrigerator until step 5.

2. Put the flour, sugar, salt, and butterfly pea flower powder, 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 butterfly pea flower tea from the refrigerator. Add 2 tablespoons of the tea and fluff the moisture through the flour with a spatula. Continue adding tea 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 tea. 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 strained butterfly pea flower tea in the refrigerator until step 4.

2. Put the flour, sugar, salt, and butterfly pea flower powder, 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 butterfly pea flower tea from the refrigerator. Add 2 tablespoons of the tea and stir through with a spatula. Continue adding tea 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 tea. 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.

BUTTERFLY PEA FLOWER TEA

MAKES 1 CUP (237 MILLILITERS), ENOUGH TO MAKE 2 DOUGH DISKS

⅓ cup (0.25 ounce) dried butterfly pea flowers

1 cup boiling hot water

1. Steep the butterfly pea flowers in the hot water, stirring occasionally.

2. When the water has reached room temperature, place the liquid in the refrigerator to continue steeping overnight.

3. Before using, strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve, using a spatula to extract as much liquid from the flowers as possible. Discard the flowers or save to steep again. If reusing steeped flowers, the tea will be less vibrant with subsequent batches and the color may not hold in a baked pie.