The key to this amazingly thin and flaky crust is to freeze the butter (or butter substitute for a vegan version) and chill the flour so both are super-cold. Doing so creates lots of flaky air pockets in the crust. Easy as pie.

　　

Ingredients

makes two 9-inch crusts

　　1 1/2 cups sprouted spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour, chilled in the freezer for about 30 minutes

　　1/2 teaspoon sea salt

　　1/2 cup frozen unsalted butter or non-hydrogenated butter substitute, cut into small pieces

　　5 tablespoons ice water

　　

Step 1

In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt 5 or 6 times to fluff up the flour with air. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Do not overmix. Add the ice water and process by pulsing until the mixture just starts to stick together (if processed too much, the dough won’t be flaky).

　　

Step 2

Divide the dough in half and flatten slightly into 2 disks. Flour the dough a little and place each disk between 2 pieces of waxed paper. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or more, until ready to use. Place 1 disk on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a circle about 2 inches larger than the pie pan. This dough is easy to roll out thinly.

　　

Step 3

To prevent cracks or tears, lift the dough by rolling it back onto the rolling pin, then roll it over your dish. Gently press the dough into the bottom of the pie pan. Fill the pie with the filling of your choice. Roll the second crust and place over the filling. Press the edges together and flute by pinching the dough together with 2 fingers. Cover the edges of the crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent the crust from getting too brown. Remove the foil during the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking.

　　

Step 4

For a prebaked bottom crust, preheat the oven to 350°F. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool before filling.

　　Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.