Find out how the tips you need to know to make the perfect crust for your next pie, plus get the fail-proof recipe using just a few simple ingredients.
COOK + BAKE | Published June 16, 2014
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Most people either consider themselves to be great at making pie crust or think they can't do it well at all. While making crust can be tricky, your ability lies more in the recipe itself and what is done with the dough rather than any skills that you might or might not possess.
There are some recipes that turn out drier than others. Some don't seem to make quite enough dough to fill the pie tin or allow enough extra to make a beautiful edge on your crust. And if the dough isn't chilled properly, it could shrink when the crust is put in the oven to bake, ruining anything decorative that was done with the pastry.
After many experiments with different recipes, I believe that I may have finally found the best recipe yet for pie crust. It is fairly simple to make, rolls out nicely, and makes more than enough dough for two 9-inch pie crusts.
PIE RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOYRustic Apple Cranberry Pie - perfect for fall and Christmas dessertsBlueberry Pie with a Twisted Lattice CrustTHERE ARE TWO IMPORTANT TIPS TO REMEMBER WHEN MAKING ANY PIE CRUST
The most important rule is to make the pie crust cold.
ALL of your ingredients, not just the butter, should be cold. Before preparing this recipe you'll need to stick everything including the flour and water into the refrigerator for at least half an hour. Having everything cold keeps the butter from melting while processing. When your dough is done, you should still be able to see chunks of butter remaining.
The other tip when making pie crust is to not over-mix the pastry.
Process the ingredients just enough to incorporate everything, but no more. If the dough is overworked, it will get overly firm and could shrink when baked.
So let's get busy making some crust....
MUST HAVE PIE CRUST RECIPE
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, cold and cut into little pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
How to Make Pie Crust
- Add the flour (learn more about how to properly measure dry ingredients), chunks of butter, salt, and sugar in to afood processor. Process the ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. This can also be done by hand with a pastry blender.
- Add 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of water very slowly and pulse the food processor a few times. The dough is ready if it holds together when squeezed but is still able to be crumbled apart.Divide the dough into two and form each half into a flat round wrapped in plastic wrap.
- Chill the dough for at least an hour in the refrigerator before attempting to roll it out.
- When you are ready to make your crust, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Be sure to also lightly flour therolling pinand dough so that nothing sticks. You must keep moving the pastry around so that it doesn't stick. Also, as you roll you should apply pressure to the rolling pin in only one direction. Do not press as you roll the pin backwards. Your dough should roll out easily and maintain a round shape.
- If it starts to crack or break when you begin rolling, wait a minute for the dough to warm up just slightly. If it starts to stick, then the dough is too warm and needs to go back into the refrigerator.
- When the dough forms a circle that is a little more than an inch wider than yourpie dishall around, fold it in half, and then in half again to transfer it to your baking dish without ripping. Gently press the crust down into the dish, but do not stretch it to fit.
- Trim the pastry around the edges withkitchen scissorsto be just a little larger than the rim of your dish.
- Fold the excess dough under the crust to make it thicker around the edges. Use the pointer and middle finger of one hand and the thumb of your other hand to press and form a ruffled edge.
- Put the crust back into the refrigerator for an hour before filling with your pie ingredients and baking. It should also be placed into the refrigerator at any point that you think the dough is getting too soft while forming the crust.
And that is it! I have no doubt that you'll end up with a beautiful and tasty crust perfect for any pie!
Now that you have the recipe and technique for making the perfect crust, put your skills to the test by makingblueberry pie with a twisted lattice crust. It is an easy dessert you'll make again and again!
FAQs
For Flaky Pie Crust, Keep Everything COLD, Especially Your Butter. If your kitchen is above 73°F, you can refrigerate all of your ingredients and equipment including your bowl, rolling pin, and pie plate until it's between 65-70°F (dip an instant-read thermometer into your flour to gauge the temperature).
Is butter better for pie crust? ›
Shortening is better at crumbly crust, butter is better at flaky. But you can get either from both. There are obvious differences in flavor, and butter can give you a very nice chewiness in a crust while still being tender. Butter also tends to shrink and lose shape/detail more when it bakes.
Should you butter pie crust before baking? ›
Pie and tart doughs have so much butter in them that they almost self-grease as they bake. The butter melts and turns into steam and browns the bottoms making them crispy. If you add more grease into that situation, the texture of your pie crust may change in the oven.
Should butter be cold when making pie crust? ›
In order to ensure that the finished crust is super flaky, pie crust always starts with cold butter. That way, the butter will remain in solid chunks in the dough that evaporate into layers during baking. Good!
How long should you chill pie dough before rolling out? ›
Right: The same dough after it's been gently rolled over with a pin.
- I always roll out my dough between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap. ...
- I always chill my dough for at least 2 hours before rolling out, and then chill again for at least 1 hour after shaping in the pie pan.
The acid in the apple cider vinegar tenderizes the dough by slowing the gluten production in the dough. This prevents it from getting tough and elastic like bread dough. Love me tender. If you've ever bitten into a slice of pie with a tough crust, you know the value in a tender, flaky pie crust.
What are 2 disadvantages of using all butter in pie crust? ›
Butter is prized for its sweet, rich flavor and is our preferred fat for pie crust recipes, but its low melting point and overall makeup can make it difficult to work with.
What are some disadvantages of using butter in pie dough? ›
Cons of Butter Pie Crust:
This pie crust dough can be a little more difficult to make, because the cold butter takes a little extra effort to work into the flour than shortening or lard. But we think it's worth the extra elbow grease!
What is one thing you should not do when making pie crust? ›
In pie crust, you don't want gluten to form so you don't want to mix too much and overwork the dough. For a flaky crust, cut the butter so that chunks of butter about the size of walnut halves remain. The chunks of cold butter create the layers in the dough.
Why is my pie crust made with butter tough? ›
Keep the dough ingredients cool
The key to standard pie crust is having pockets of fat surrounded by flour. But if that fat starts to melt and mixes with the flour, it can start to develop gluten, which can lead to a tough crust. To prevent this, keep everything as cold as possible.
You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.
What happens if you don't chill pie crust before baking? ›
Non-chilled crust is fairly crumbly and less smooth, which makes it harder to roll out and means it may not look as polished. It will brown more quickly and the final product will likely be tougher, heavier, and more doughy – none of those in a bad way. It will likely have a more intense, butter flavor.
Can I use softened butter for pie crust? ›
No. Chilled butter is essential for the light, flaky crust we all know and love. Room temp butter is great for when you have to cream butter and sugar, not a good pie crust.
What causes a pie crust to be flaky? ›
While butter, shortening, or lard make equally light and tender crusts, an all-butter crust will be flakier due to butter's higher water content: as the crust bakes the butter melts and its water turns to steam, creating thin, crisp layers (flakes).
What is the most important thing when making pie crust? ›
#1—Cut the fat into the flour
Over-mixing frequently leads to a tough product. Pie dough is no different—the less you handle it, the better the result. Recipes for pie dough use the “rubbing” mixing method to combine the fat into the dry ingredients.
What are two things we should do to the pie crust before par baking? ›
After dough has rested, crimp the edges of the dough, and prick the bottom and the sides of your pie shell at least 15 times. Line a piece of aluminum foil around your crust and fill with pie weights. Place your pie crust on the pre-heated sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes.
How do you keep the bottom of a pie crust crispy? ›
Sprinkle dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes, or other types of cereal, on the bottom crust before filling and baking in the oven.
