Make Thanksgiving Pie Dough Now
Thanksgiving planning season has officially begun, and when you’re coordinating a big lunch, every little preparation is important. I wouldn’t season the turkey just yet, but it’s never too early to fill the freezer with pie dough.
Depending on the type of cake you are making, how much space in the oven and refrigerator you have, and the ambient temperature in the kitchen, making a cake from scratch can take an entire damn day, most of which is spent waiting for the dough. Cool down. This is where your freezer comes in handy. Freezing pre-mixed, portioned dough for the future will take care of the worst of expectations, so all you have to do on Pie Day is defrost, roll (and / or whisk ) and bake. In addition, performing the freeze and thaw cycle will basically ensure that the dough is completely rested , making it easier to roll out.
Aside from a little foresight, all you need is a pie dough recipe (scalable as needed) and additional freeze-safe food storage. (If you’re looking for a recipe, I swear Stella Parks and Smitten Kitchen .) After you have kneaded the dough, divide it into single crust portions, place them on round discs and wrap tightly before freezing. Pie dough is about half the butter, so take the same precautions as when freezing butter to protect the crust from unpleasant odors: I usually make two layers of plastic wrap and then a layer of sturdy foil.
This is basically all there is to it. Move the frozen discs to the refrigerator the day before you plan to roll them out, but if you forget, a couple of hours at room temperature will help. For added convenience, blindly bake a few seashells in disposable tins, then wrap them tightly and freeze until needed; Future. You will feel seen and appreciated.