Did you know that November is National Pepper Month? It’s also Peanut Butter Lover’s Month. In 1989, North Dakota and South Dakota became the 39th and 40th states of the US, followed by Montana as the 41st. It’s also World Vegan Month. Who knew?

But nothing takes center stage like the biggest food fest of the year – Thanksgiving. And if there ever was a season for pies to shine, November would be it.

My husband falls into the "I love pie" group (that man can eat pie!). I never really cared for it, and to be honest, I never even made them until Tom came into my life and started requesting them. In the last 6 years, I've made too many pies to keep track of. Tom will tell you I haven't made enough, but then, he can never have enough pie.

So, when a couple of months ago I was approached by a Quirk Books publicist with an offer to help promote Russell van Kraayenburg new book: Making Dough: Recipes and Rations for Perfect Pastries and join their Making Dough Challenge, I jumped at the chance. And Tom screamed like a girl – MORE PIE!

Making Dough is all about simplifying the process of baking dough. The book features twelve simple dough recipes—twelve simple ratios— and includes over 100 pastries, all made using five essential ingredients: flour, butter, water, sugar, and eggs.

This book is attractive and lightweight. It has a sturdy hardcover and high-quality paper, ensuring durability through frequent use.

It’s also the perfect book for beginner bakers. Russell’s writing style is win-win all around: it is full of ingredient ratios, easy-to-follow instructions, illustrations and tips for dough-making, and recipes for turning each type of dough into delicious pastries. I have quite a few marked off to try.

The first part of the book, "Getting Started," includes the following: What is Dough, Getting Started, Measuring, Ratios, Ingredients, Tools, Mixing Methods, Tips, and Making It Your Own. The other chapters in the book are dough recipes, including Biscuit, Scone, Pie, Shortcrust Dough, Sweetcrust Dough, Pate A Choux Dough, Brioche, Puff Pastry, Danish, Phyllo, and Croissant.

I chose the pie dough as my challenge, and I knew I wanted to make a savory pie instead of a sweet pie. I started to think about typical Thanksgiving fare, and as I pictured those dishes, the light bulb went on. And I had my filling.

Carrots! Usually served as a side dish, vegetable medley, or roasted dish, I started to put this together in my head, and I have to say, the end results came out better than I had imagined.

The pie dough was easy to put together. The only challenge I faced was Russell's use of ounces instead of grams. But it was no big deal; it made me appreciate my super-duper scale that can switch measurement units. Russell provides instructions for mixing by hand or using a food processor. I opted for the food processor method because who still makes pie dough by hand? It came together in less than 5 minutes, with the longest part of the process being the resting period.

The dough was a dream to roll out—seriously, like Play-Doh—and it baked up into a tender, buttery, flaky crust. I was so happy with the crust that I made it again the next day just to make sure it wasn't beginner's luck, and voila! Consistency won out because it came out just as good the second time around. I can confirm that this is about to become my go-to crust recipe for, well, just about anything I need a crust for.

You better get started on your first batch.

MINI CARROT GALETTE WITH RICOTTA
Makes 3 medium size Galette

Equipment:

Baking sheet, cover with parchment paper or Silpat baking mat
Pizza/Baking Stone*
Measuring scale

PIE DOUGH
Makes: 1 lb of dough, enough for a 9” inch pie

6 ounces bread flour
2 ounces cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
7 ounces (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold
¼ cup water

Food Processor Method

Pulse the flour mixture and salt in the bowl of a food processor 2 or 3 times to combine. Chop butter into ½-inch cubes and add to the flour mixture. Pulse for 1 second (about 8 times) until the butter is in pieces about the size of large peas. Add water and pulse 3 to 4 times until the dough begins to come together. It may remain in a few large chunks.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and push the chunks together. Knead it 4 to 5 times until it holds its shape. Flatten the dough into a disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap it tightly in parchment paper and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Prepare your filling

CARAMELIZED CARROTS FILLING

4-5 carrot
1 onion, diced
1 leek, cleaned, and slice
3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary (or thyme)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

TIP: Prepare all your ingredients ahead of time. Once you start cooking the dish,, it comes together pretty fast.

Peel carrots and cut into cubes, you should have about 1½ cups.
Thinly slice leeks. Use the white and light green parts of the leeks and put them aside.
Do the same with your onions and fresh rosemary (or thyme)
Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, When butter is bubbling, drizzle a bit of olive oil and add the leeks and onions. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the carrots and stir to combine with the butter/olive oil mixture. Season with salt and spread evenly in the pan.
Now, for the important part - don't stir the ingredients for a while. You want them to caramelize, so resist the urge to move them around. Stay nearby, and after about 3-5 minutes, give them a toss. You'll start to see the carrots turning a deeper orange color and the edges browning (the same will happen to the onions and leeks). Keep an eye on the pan to prevent burning, but let the butter/oil work its magic and caramelize the ingredients. If you notice the pan getting dry, add the last tablespoon of butter and keep cooking, tossing everything around.
Taste the carrots; they should still have a slight crunch. If needed, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Taste again and adjust as necessary. Then, add the chopped fresh rosemary and stir. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly before adding them to the rolled pie dough.

Prepare your Ricotta filling

RICOTTA FILLING

½ cup of whole milk ricotta
2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
1 lemon, grated zest
1½ cup of Gruyere cheese – grated (½ to be used in the filling, the 1 cup to top the Galettes)
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a small bowl, add the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and ½ cups of Gruyere cheese. Mix until combined, taste, and season with salt and ground fresh pepper.

To build the Galettes:

Rearrange your oven racks to be closer to the bottom. If you are using a pizza or baking stone, place it on the top rack and preheat your oven to 400°F.
Prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.
Roll out your pie dough on a lightly floured work surface to ½ inch thick, using a plate or freehand (its ok, this is a rustic Galette) to guide you in cutting 3 circles and one by one move to your baking sheet.
Spread the ricotta filling in the center of your circle, leaving about a 1-inch border. Top with your carrot mixture, and then sprinkle more Gruyere cheese on top. Fold the border over the mixture, pleating the edges to make it fit—the center will be open. Do the same with the other two dough disks—you should end up with three medium-sized-sized Galettes on your baking sheet. If you have leftover cheese, sprinkle more on top.
Finish by beating a whole egg and, using a pastry brush, coating each galette with the egg wash.
Now put the whole thing in the freezer for about 30 minutes—this is my go-to trick. This will firm up the dough, and your pie will hold its shape better as it bakes.
Place your baking sheet on top of the pizza/baking stone and bake for about 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375°F and bake another 25-minutes, until crust is golden brown.
Remove from oven and let it cool before serving.

They are best enjoyed at room temperature, but at Casa P, we actually prefer them cold, making them the perfect picnic hand pie. Make sure to check out my fellow bloggers who are participating in this #makingdough challenge.