Description
This is a classic recipe for a flaky and buttery pie crust, perfect for any pie!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into ½ inch cubes, for all butter, omit shortening and use 10 tablespoons butter)
- 2 tablespoons Crisco shortening or lard
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- Scant ⅓ cup ice cold water
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl.
- Place butter cubes on a plate dusted with flour.
- Measure the cold water and add the vinegar to it.
- Place everything in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to chill.
- Transfer the dry ingredients to the food processor. Add the butter/Crisco, then pulse the machine 6-7 times, until the pieces of fat are roughly the size of small peas.
- Pour the vinegar-water mixture through the feed tube in a 7-8 second stream, pulsing the machine as you add it. Stop pulsing when the mixture is just starting to form larger clumps.
- Turn the dough out onto your work surface and pack it into a ball. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it into a ¾ inch thick disc. Wrap the disc and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling.
- Dust your work surface with flour before rolling the dough. Dust the top of the dough and the rolling pin as needed, to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Rock over the dough a few times with your rolling pin and begin rolling it from the center out. Give the dough a quarter turn, then repeat the rolling sequence and keep repeating. Roll the dough out into a 12-13 inch circle using medium pressure, not too hard and not too little.
- For deep dish, make it 12 ½ to 13 inches in diameter. For standard 9-9 ½ inch pie pan, a 12 inch circle will do nicely.
- If there’s any lingering flour on the dough once it’s rolled out, take a pastry brush and brush the excess flour off the dough quickly.
- Run your hands under the dough, then lift it into the pan without stretching and tearing. You can also roll the dough onto the pin and unroll it into the pan.
- Make sure the dough is draped evenly over the pan. Gently nudge the dough down the sides and crease at the bottom.
- For a ½ inch to ¾ inch overhang, trim with scissors to get an even cut.
- Starting anywhere along the edge, fold the overhanging dough under towards the outside of the pan so any seam is hidden. Pinch the dough together while sculpting it into an upright ridge ½ to ¾ inches high.
- Place the shell into the freezer for 5-6 minutes to firm up the ridge.
- To create the flute, form a V with your thumb and forefinger against the outside of the rim. Use your other finger to press against the shell from the other side, pushing the dough in the V.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the shell for a minimum of 15 minutes before filling or blind baking.
- If you need to prebake, poke the bottom 7-8 times with a fork, twisting slightly to enlarge the holes.
- Blind baking refers to the process of prebaking the pie shell either partially or fully.
- Line the shell with foil, large coffee filters, or parchment paper. Leave overhang on opposite sides and fold it down like wings.
- Adjust the oven racks, preheat to 375 degrees, and bake on a lined baking sheet to soak up any leaking butter.
- For partially prebaked shells, bake for 25 minutes without opening the oven door. After, remove the lining and re-poke holes if needed.
- Continue baking for an additional 10 minutes at 350 degrees. If not golden brown, bake for 3-4 more minutes.
- For fully prebaked shells, bake an additional 15-18 minutes until golden brown and crusty. Cool on a rack before filling.
Notes
- Using very cold ingredients helps achieve a flaky crust.
- Do not overwork the dough.
- Blind baking is essential for pies with wetter fillings.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 125mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 30mg