Whole Wheat Pie Crust

I fully believe in all purpose flour, but sometimes I get a hankering for food that's a little more rustic. That's when I start reaching for the whole wheat flour. Sometimes, I even grab the graham flour (basically just a more coarsely ground wheat flour). I like the added depth of flavor that it gives and it also affects the texture. In this case, with a pie crust, it can add an extra dimension to the flakiness. It's almost like the bran in the flour gets aligned with the pie flakes and makes the crust simply melt in your mouth. At least that's how it seems to me.

Here you can see that I used it to to make turnover pies. In this case it was with a beef pie filling. I will post the full recipe for the filling and making the pies tomorrow, but I wanted to post the crust separately since it can stand on its own and be used for other applications. It is made just like regular pie crust, you can see my pie crust making post here if you need a refresher. It includes a video showing how you can make pie crust in a food processor lickity-split.

One other important thing to mention is that because whole wheat flour includes the bran and the endosperm, which spoil faster, it is best to keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer. Always smell your wheat flour before using. When it gets too old it gets a rancid smell that can also be tasted. Yucky.

Whole Wheat Pie Crust
Yield: enough for two single pie crusts

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp table salt
14 TBS chilled shortening
1/2 cup ice cold water

Mix flours and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea sized chunks of shortening remaining. Add the water and process until it just comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes before rolling.