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
Start with chilled ingredients
Butter creates a sturdy, crisp pie crust. For this, it is important to keep all ingredients cold which will inhibit the development of gluten in the flour. Use butter right out of the refrigerator and add ice-cold water to make the dough.
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. So you definitely don't want to overdo it.
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!
What not to do when making pie crust? ›
Below are six common mistakes when making a homemade pie crust and some helpful solutions to avoid them.
- The ingredients are too warm. ...
- The pie dough is overworked from excessive mixing or rolling. ...
- The pie dough isn't given enough time to relax and chill. ...
- The pie dough is shrinking down the sides of the pan.
Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to overnight. Tip: Chilling hardens the fat in the dough, which will help the crust maintain its structure as it bakes. And the short rest before rolling relaxes the dough's gluten, helping prevent a tough crust.
What are 2 disadvantages of using all butter in pie crust? ›
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using butter in a pie crust? Advantages : excellent flavor and forms distinct flaky layers. Disadvantages: Expensive and butter melts easy bettween 82.5 and 96.8 degrees F. It takes more time to make pastry because it must be refrigerated.
Why does butter leak out of pie crust? ›
You always want to bake your pie crust at 350F (177C) or higher, if the oven is not hot enough, the butter will just leak out and the crust will shrivel up.
What is the most important rule in making a pie crust? ›
Keep It Cold
If your butter melts during the mixing or rolling process—before the pie crust hits the oven—you won't achieve those flaky layers we're looking for in this buttery pastry. With this goal in mind, the cardinal rule of pie crusts is to keep things as cold as possible.
Which pies do you Prebake the crust? ›
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.
This time, though, there was one very clear victor. Butter made a tastier, flakier, sturdier crust by far. This isn't to say that shortening and lard aren't useful ingredients. Shortening is a great way to get incredibly tender desserts.
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.
Does butter make pie crust tough? ›
If the butter is too warm, it will combine too well into the flour, making the dough hard to work with and the final crust tough or cracker-like. If you've had problems with your pie crust recipe, chances are the butter's to blame. Here's how to keep it under control: Start with cold butter, straight from the fridge.
Why does my pie crust taste like a cracker? ›
Adding more flour is always an option, but add too much flour and your dough will end up like a cracker—not a pie crust.
What does adding vinegar to pie crust do? ›
Adding vinegar tenderizes the pastry. It inhibits gluten from forming there by making the pastry tender and flaky. I have always added a tbsp of vinegar to a beaten egg and added water to make one cup.
What ruins a pie crust? ›
Overworking pie dough
You should always stick to kneading your pie dough just enough so that the flour and the butter are combined, but not so much so that your dough becomes elastic and hard to work. In hindsight, the easiest way to fix an overworked pie crust is to prevent overworking it in the first place.
