Oh the dreaded pie crust. So many people are hesitant to make a pie because the thought of making a crust from scratch scares them. Well, we are here to tell you it’s not all that hard. Making pie from scratch is pretty easy, it just takes time and patience.
There is a never ending debate if it is better to use butter or shortening in pie crusts. We are a big fan of all butter pie crusts, but there are times when adding shortening is beneficial. Doughs made with shortening hold their shape better and shortening is also known to result in a flakier crust. Since we were going for a more decorative pie this time we decided to use our combination pie crust, half butter half shortening. It’s the best of both worlds. You have the butter to give you the delicious buttery flavor and the shortening to help the crust keep it’s shape while baking and give it a nice flaky crust. If you are interested in reading more about the different fats that can be used in pie crust and their benefits, this is a great article to read.
The secret to a great pie crust is using cold ingredients. In most baking recipes it calls for the butter to be at room temperature, but this is one time you want the butter to be cold. We like to take our butter straight from the fridge and cut it into one inch cubes and then stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes. If you are using shortening make sure to chill it prior to making your crust.
When mixing the ingredients together we like to use a pastry cutter. Another option is putting all the ingredients in a food processor, but we find it unnecessary to go to all that work and cleanup. If you have neither, a large fork will work, but will take a little more muscle.
Water is another ingredient you will want cold. The recipe calls for ice water. This does not mean add the water plus the ice to the dough. What you will want to do is get a cup of water and add ice to it to chill the water. When it comes time to adding the water to the dough, add one tablespoon at a time and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate, then add the next tablespoon. We just dip our tablespoon in the glass of ice water, making sure not to get any chunks of ice. You want to add just enough water that the dough starts to stick together in large chunks. Do not add too much water! We usually end up adding 7 tablespoons, so you will most likely need between 6-8 depending on your dough and if you are working in a dry or humid climate.
After you knead the flour and fats together, don’t worry if you see small pieces or swirls of butter/shortening in the dough. That is totally fine. After the flour and fats are incorporated you will want to divide the dough into two even pieces, flatten to a one inch thick disc and tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Your dough is now complete and ready to be chilled. The dough needs to chill in the fridge at least two hours. We like to make our dough the day before we make the rest of the pie so it has plenty of time to chill and less you have to do in one day.
When it comes time to roll the dough out, take one dough disc out of the fridge at a time. Start by rolling out the piece for the bottom of the crust. Always work on a floured work space and use a floured rolling pin. To achieve a round shape, roll from the center to the edge of the dough. Rotate the dough about a quarter turn between every few rolls. If you are using a 9 inch pie dish you will want to roll your dough out to a 12 inch diameter.
Classic Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup shortening chilled
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter cubed and chilled
- 6-8 tbsp ice water
Instructions
- Prepare chilled butter by cutting into one inch cubes. Place on a plate and put in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- In a large bowl stir together the flour and salt.
- Add the chilled shortening and butter. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal with large pea-sized pieces of butter/shortening.
- Fill a glass with about one cup of water, add a few ice cubes and stir. Using a tablespoon, add one tablespoon of the chilled water at a time to the dough mixture. Stir the dough with a wooden spoon after adding each tablespoon of water. Continue adding tablespoons of water one at a time till the dough starts to stick together and is no longer dry. We typically use 7 tablespoons of water. Do not add any more water than you need.
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and with floured hands lightly knead the dough together until the butter/shortening is mixed with the flour. Small specks or swirls of butter are ok. Cut the dough in half and form each half into a ball then flatten into a one inch thick disc. Wrap each piece tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
- When it comes time to roll the dough, remove one dough discs from the fridge, unwrap and place on a floured work surface. With a floured rolling pin, gently roll out the dough to a 12 inch round. Start by rolling from the center out. Rotate the dough a quarter turn about every few rolls.
- Fill, top and bake your pie according to the recipes directions.
