Pie Crust 101 Recipes

PIE CRUST 101

Steps:

• DOUGH: In a large bowl (you can use a food processor, but by hand with a pastry blender works best for flakiness) mix flours, sugar, and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Remove from fridge and add very cold butter and shortening. Mix the lemon juice, egg, and water in a small bowl and slowly add to dry ingredients, mixing by hand, until the dough begins to form a ball. Divide ball in half, flatten to make 2 disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. You can freeze up to 2 months by placing the wrapped discs in a freezer bag. Just be sure and thaw in the refrigerator before using.
• PREP 1 (ROLLING PIN): Take one disk and roll it out larger than your pan onto a lightly floured work surface. Transfer the dough to a pie pan by carefully rolling the pastry around a rolling pin, then gently unrolling it over the pan. If it breaks apart, don't worry. Simply patch any cracks or tears with some dough and press down to seal. It will not show for the bottom crust.
• PREP 2 (PARCHMENT): Lightly flour a disk and place between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Roll out the dough from the center to the edges, to make a circular shape larger than your pan. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and place the pie pan in the center of the dough. Slide your hand under the parchment holding the dough centering your hand to the middle of the pan and flip over. Press the dough into the pan and carefully peel away the parchment.
• BOTTOM ONLY PIE: If pre-baking a bottom crust, brush it with the eggwash and using the tines of a fork, prick the bottom and sides in a few places so that the crust will not bubble up. If not pre-baking, Do Not prick the crust! Just brush the edges with the eggwash and fill with the filling of your choice.
• TOP CRUST PIE: If making a top crust, brush the edges of the bottom crust with the eggwash. If you have a pie bird, place in the center and then add the filling. Use the same method for rolling out the top crust using either prep 1 or prep 2 method (for prep 2 method, slowly flip the dough with parchment over the filling, then gently pull away the parchment paper). Using the backside tines of a fork, gently press the edges together to seal (or you can pinch the edges for a scalloped look).
• Trim excess dough from around the edge and gather up the scraps. Roll it out and cut fruit, leaf, or other designs for the top of the pie. You can use cookie cutters or try out your freehand talent. NOTE: if you have a pie bird, then once you roll out your top dough, place a small 'x' in the center so it will fall over the bird. If your 'x' is too large, simply use the scraps of dough to make a 'skirt' over the bird (see photo).
• If you do not have a pie bird, use a sharp knife tip or kitchen sheers, carefully cut or snip a 1/2" hole in the center of the crust to allow steam to escape. Using the tines of a fork, poke holes around the center hole to resemble a sun and sun ray pattern (you can do it so it will show where to cut the slices). Arrange the dough cut-outs on top (but not over the vent holes). Gently brush the pie crust and decorations with the eggwash.

EASY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• To make the dough for the pie crust, mix 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Cut 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add 4 tablespoons ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more tablespoons). Do not overwork.
• Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• To form the pie shell, roll the dough on a floured surface into a 14-inch round. Wrap around rolling pin and carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate.
• Fit gently into bottom and side of plate. Use kitchen shears to trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and seal to form a rim.
• Crimp rim with fingertips and knuckle. Repeat with remaining dough; wrap each with plastic, stack, and freeze.

CLASSIC BUTTER PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed., Shape dough into a disk for a single-crust pie; for a double-crust pie, divide dough in 2 with 1 piece slightly larger than the other. Shape into 2 disks. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight., On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 disk of dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. , For a single-crust pie: Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Fill or bake according to recipe directions., For a double-crust pie: Add filling to pie. Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top. Bake according to recipe directions.

BEST EVER PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half, and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
• Roll out dough on a floured counter. Don't over work it. Use as directed in pie recipe.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Cut each stick of butter into 8 pieces, and refrigerate until needed. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and mix to combine.
• Add the chilled butter. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture; the mixture should resemble coarse meal with small pieces of butter, the size of small peas, remaining visible.
• Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over the flour-butter mixture, and blend. Repeat with an additional 2 tablespoons water. At this point, you may have to add more water: When a handful of dough squeezed together just holds its shape, you've added enough; if the dough crumbles, continue incorporating water, 1 tablespoon at a time, checking the consistency after each additional tablespoon.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two equal pieces, and place on two separate sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two disks. Wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Place the chilled dough in the center of the work surface, and dust the dough as well as the rolling pin with flour. Position the rolling pin on the center of the disk, and begin rolling the dough away from you. Give the disk a quarter turn, and roll again. Continue turning and rolling until you have an even 1/8-inch thickness. Turning the dough as you roll will prevent it from sticking to the work surface. A dry pastry brush is handy to remove any excess flour during and after the rolling process.
• Lightly butter the pie plate. To minimize stretching when moving the dough, roll it around the pin, lift up, and unroll over the buttered pie plate. Using your fingers, gently pat the dough into place. Trim any excess dough with a paring knife or kitchen shears, leaving a 1-inch overhang; then fold dough under to reinforce the edge.