Old Fashioned Flaky Pie Crust Recipes

RUTH'S GRANDMA'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, shortening, sugar, and salt. Blend together with a pastry cutter until crumbly.
• In a small bowl, mix egg with water. Blend into flour mixture. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

ORIGINAL CRISCO PIE CRUST RECIPE FROM THE 1940S

Steps:

• 1. Mix up the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Remove 1/4 cup and put that in a small bowl.
• 2. Cut the Crisco into the flour/salt mixture until it resembles fine crumbs.
• 3. Make a paste of the ice water and the reserved flour/salt mixture. Stir it well with a fork until it is smooth.
• 4. Using a rubber/silicone spatula, scrape the paste onto the flour/salt/Crisco mixture. Mix with a fork, and then gently with your clean hands. Refrigerate for about an hour.
• 5. Dust your work surface with flour. Pat the dough into an evenly thick round, then use a rolling pin and beginning at the center roll outward, turn the dough a quarter turn, roll out again and repeat. Roll evenly until the dough is about 11" in diameter.
• 6. Roll the dough up onto the rolling pin and lay gently into a 9" pie pan. Press gently into the bottom and sides of the pan, allow about a 1" overhang. Turn under the overhang and flute the edges. Using the tines of the fork, prick the bottom and sides of the dough. This helps keep the dough from shrinking while baking. Refrigerate the crust for one hour before baking. This helps give it a flaky texture when baked. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

EASY ALL-BUTTER FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Add 1 ½ cups flour, salt, and sugar (optional) to a food processor. Pulse 2 to 3 times until combined. The remaining cup of flour will be added later.
• Scatter butter cubes over flour and process until a dough or paste begins to form, about 15 seconds. (There should be no uncoated flour).
• Scrape bowl, redistribute the flour-butter mixture then add remaining 1 cup of flour. Pulse 4 to 5 times until flour is evenly distributed. (Dough should look broken up and a little crumbly).
• Transfer to a medium bowl then sprinkle ice water over mixture - start with 4 tablespoons and add from there. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs should begin to form larger clusters. If you pinch some of the dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough falls apart, add 2 to 4 more tablespoons of water and continue to press until dough comes together.
• Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Work the dough just enough to form a ball. Cut the ball in half then form each half into discs. Wrap each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months (just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using it).
• Add 1 1/2 cups flour, salt and sugar (optional) to a medium bowl. Stir 2 to 3 times until combined.
• Scatter butter cubes over flour and mix briefly with a fork or spatula to coat the butter with flour.
• Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender, working mixture until the flour has a coarse, mealy texture similar to fresh bread crumbs. About 1 - 2 minutes.
• Add remaining 1 cup of flour. Work butter and flour with the pastry blender until flour is evenly distributed. About 20 seconds. (Dough should look crumbly with pea-sized pieces).
• Sprinkle ice water over the mixture - start with 4 tablespoons and add from there. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs should begin to form larger clusters. If you pinch some of the dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough falls apart, add 2 to 4 more tablespoons of water and continue to press until dough comes together.
• Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Work the dough just enough to form a ball. Cut ball in half then form each half into discs. Wrap each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months (just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using).
• Remove one of the dough discs from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
• Lightly flour work surface, top of dough and rolling pin. Then use rolling pin to roll out dough to a 12-inch circle (about 1/8-inch thick). Be sure to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below - add a small amount of flour when necessary.
• Check for size by inverting pie dish over dough round. Look for a 1-inch edge around the pie dish. To transfer dough to dish, starting at one end, roll dough around rolling pin then unroll over dish.
• Gently press dough down into dish so that it lines the bottom and sides of the dish. (Be careful not to pull or stretch the dough). Then, use a knife or pair of kitchen scissors to trim dough to within 1/2-inch of the edge of the dish.
• Fold edge of dough underneath itself so that it creates a thicker, 1/4-inch border that rests on the lip of the dish. Then, crimp edges by pressing the pointer finger of one hand against the edge of the dough from the inside of the dish while gently pressing with two knuckles of the other hand from the outside. Refrigerate dough at least 20 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes before baking.
• If making a double crust pie, do not crimp edges yet. Roll out second dough disc, fill pie then top with second dough round. Trim the edges then crimp.
• Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a baking sheet on a middle oven rack.
• Roll out enough dough to make one 9-inch crust (1 dough disk). Place into a pie plate and then pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork (this prevent air pockets or bubbles from forming while baking). Line the crust with two sheets of aluminum foil or parchment paper. (Be sure to push foil against the edges of the crust). Then, fill foil with dried rice, dried beans or pie weights. Refrigerate 30 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
• Place pie crust onto preheated baking sheet and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden.
• Make an egg wash by whisking one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of cream in a small bowl. Then, remove rice, beans or pie weights and foil from pie crust. Brush the bottom and sides of the crust with egg wash. Bake until egg wash is dry and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool crust completely before filling.
• Oven temperature and bake time for double crust pies will vary depending on the pie recipe you plan to follow. As an example, we set our oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for our double crust cherry pie (see the recipe here).
• Remove half of dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 13-inch (1/8-inch thick) circle.
• Check for size by inverting pie dish over dough round. Look for a 1-inch edge around the pie dish. Carefully press the dough into the dish. Spoon the pie filling into pie crust.
• Roll out second half of dough then top pie. Use a knife or pair of kitchen scissors to trim dough to within 3/4-inch of the edge of the dish.
• Fold edges of top crust underneath edges of bottom crust, pressing the edge to seal it so that it creates a thicker, 1/4-inch border that rests on the lip of the dish. Then, crimp edges by pressing the pointer finger of one hand against the edge of the dough from the inside of the dish while gently pressing with two knuckles of the other hand from the outside. Refrigerate pie at least 20 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes before baking.
• Just before baking, make egg wash by whisking egg yolk and cream together in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush over the top crust. Then, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Then, cut 3 to 4 slits in top of pie. Bake as directed by the specific recipe you are following.

MOM'S LARD PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in water, a tablespoon at a time, until pastry holds together. Shape into a ball; chill for 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Transfer to a 10-in. pie plate. Flute edges; fill and bake as pie recipe directs.

GRANDMA'S OLD FASHIONED APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For the Pie Crust
• Mix together flour, 1 1/2 tsp. sugar and 1 tsp. salt.
• Using pastry blender, blend together chilled butter, lard and flour until crumbly (pea size chunks).
• Start by blending 4 tablespoons of ice cold water into the flour/butter/lard mixture.
• Add more water a tablespoon at a time until mixed and dough sticks together when pressed. Don't make too wet, just enough water to have dough come together.
• DO not overmix or your pie crust will be tough.
• Divide in half, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• While dough is chilling, in large bowl toss together apple slices, white and brown sugar, tapioca and cinnamon.
• Roll out pie dough to make two crusts that cover pie plate with about an inch excess.
• Place one in bottom of pie plate.
• Pile high with apple mix, cover with other pie crust, seal edges, cut slits for venting.
• Sprinkle top with white sugar and cinnamon.
• Bake 350 for about 1 - 11/2 hours until top is golden brown. Cover edge with a pie shield or foil if edge starts to brown too much while baking.

OLD-FASHIONED PIE CRUST (MAKES 3 CRUSTS)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix flour and salt. Add lard using a pastry cutter until well blended. Add water all at once and using a fork, gently stir until dough comes together in a big ball. You may need to add water a little at a time if the flour doesn't form into a ball. You don't want any wet spots in the dough though. Tip: To me it feels like play-dough when it is the perfect density.
• 2. Divide into 3 balls. Form into disks and let rest for about 10 minutes. Using rolling pin roll dough out into circles until large enough to cover pie pan. Put dough in pan and trim edges. Prick all over with a fork so that the crust doesn't bubble as it bakes. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or until edge is light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before filling.
• 3. If using a filling that needs to be baked in the crust, follow the directions in that recipe once the dough has been placed into the pie pan. Do not prick the dough before adding filling if it will be going into the oven to bake with filling in it. Cover top of filling with one of the crusts if a double crust is needed.
• 4. I like this recipe because it makes enough crust to use in a 9 x 13 pan for a cobbler or chicken pot pie with a double crust.

OLD FASHIONED FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Whisk flour with salt in a bowl; use a fork to stir in vegetable oil. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, before adding more water. Gather dough into a ball, divide in half, and roll out on a floured work surface.

OLD-FASHIONED SHORTENING PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar (if using), and salt in a large bowl; refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Add the shortening to the dry ingredients and toss it with your hands to coat, then break it up into smaller pieces. Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the pieces of fat are roughly the size of small peas and everything looks like it has been touched by the fat. There should be no dry, floury areas.
• Mound the ingredients in the center of the bowl. Drizzle about half of the water down the sides of the bowl, turning the bowl as you pour so the water doesn't end up in one spot. Using a large fork, lightly mix the dough, tossing it from the perimeter toward the center of the bowl. Drizzle most of the remaining water here and there over the dough and toss again.
• Mix the dough vigorously now. The dough should start to gather in large clumps, but if it is dry in places, stir in the rest of the water.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pack it into a ball, then knead it several times to smooth it out. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it into a ¾-inch-thick disk. Wrap the disk and refrigerate for about 1 hour before rolling.