Can I tell you something?
I used to be afraid of homemade pie crust.
I had two reasons.
- My mom always ranted about what ahassleit was, and how store bought is just as good without ALL that hardwork.
- My boyfriend's mom (my Mama Maria) is, like, the queen of pie. Her pie crust is spoken of in reverent tones. So, you know, intimidating.
For my birthday, Mama Maria got me (in addition to a lovely apron) the new edition of The Betty Crocker Cookbook. Until that point I hadn't even bothered to look for a pie crust recipe, because I knew only hers would do. However, she informed me her recipe was in that book-yay!
Fast forward a month (because I got my present early) to Thanksgiving. I was making 3 pumpkin pies for myself (and, I thought, Brandon)and some mini apple pies for Michael (recipe coming soon!). Well, first of all--when I found the recipe for the mini apple pies, it had the crust recipe for it too, and it had a way for me to make it with a food processor, and it was all butter (no shortening-thank God! I hate shortening. I don't have any and I don't want to get any.) So I was pretty excited about that, actually. But, for the pumpkin pies, I had decided to do what my mom did and just buy Pillsbury pre-made crusts.
Baking day came. Everything was ready. I had just mixed up the pumpkin filling. Then I took out the crusts and....realized they were the wrong kind. My mom's instructions hadn't been quite specific enough. So, I was stuck with these two pre-made pie crusts that were in their own little tins (thusly needing no pie plate) and were FAR too small for the amount of filling. I knew I'd need at least one more pie. So-I did what I had to do. I looked in the Betty Crocker Cookbook-but, unfortunately, there was no pie crust recipe that didn't have at least some shortening. I googled, in search for an all-butter pie crust recipe I could use. And I found one. And I used the food processor method I had read about for the mini apple pies to make it super easy! In the end-my oops was a happy HAPPY accident! With that extra pie crust, the filling filled all three pies up PERFECTLY. And after baking it was obvious which pie was the prettiest (and after tasting it was obvious which pie was the tastiest).
But there was one more hurdle. Michael's the one who likes fruit pies. He's the one who, more often than not, would be wanting the pies that had this sort of crust. Would it compare to his mom's?
Answer=Yes! He proclaimed the crust was just as good!
Yay! I don't have to use shortening!
And neither do you--use this recipe. Because, seriously, with the food processor method, I don't know what my mom was talking about. This is in no way difficult, and it is definitely worth it!
(Holiday Recipe Exchange posts: Week 1 Parts 1 and 2, Week 3, Week Six, Week Seven, Week Nine , and Week 10 Parts 1 and 2,Week 11 Parts 1 and 2, Week 12 Part 1 and 2 and Week 14 Parts1and 2)
Perfect All-Butter Pie Crust
Makes 2, 9 inch. pie crusts (enough for 1 two crusted pie or 2 one crusted pies :P)
Note: The colder the ingredients for pie crust-the better. Keeping flour, butter, milk, and water as cold as possible is advisable--the colder the ingredients, the more delightfully flaky the pie crust. Something about butter forming little packets. Anyway-this is also another good reason not toover handlethe dough-your body heat will mess with the whole cold thing. More reason to use a food processor! :)
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups AP flour (I've also made this using half whole wheat flour)
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar (omit if making a savory pie--such as Just Chicken Pot Pie)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup very cold, unsalted butter-cut into very small pieces (or you can grate frozen butter)
- 2-6 tbsp. ice cold water (if there's ice in it-awesome...just don't let the ice get into the pie. Only the water)
- 1 tbsp. white vinegar
Preparation: (I'm only posting the food processor method. Check out Food For My Family on how to make this without one).
- Put all dry ingredients into food processor. Pulse a few seconds to combine.
- Add butter to food processor and pulse until the pieces of butter are larger than pea sized.
- Mix 2 tbsp. water with 1 tbsp. vinegar and drizzle in, pulse until the crumbs are just moistened and beginning to stick together-add more water as needed.
- Take the dough out and form 2 equal discs. Wrap each in parchment paper or plastic wrap and let them rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Before rolling out the dough, let it rest at room temperature until it has warmed enough to be easily rolled (the longer it has been in the refrigerator, the longer it will need. If it was just in there for 1 hour it should only need to sit out for 5-10 minutes).
- Roll out dough (each disc separately)on lightly floured surface. For the bottom crust, roll it out several inches larger than the dish so you can gently lay it inside (stretching the dough will cause it to shrink as it bakes.) Transfer to a pie plate and bake according to directions (for best results, place back in the refrigerator while oven preheats).
See? Pretty.
But...
...I still have to master the art of making crusts look fancy. There's still time. :)
FAQs
“My preferred fat for pie crusts will always be butter. To me, it is all about flavor, and no other fat gives flavor to a crust like butter does. Other fats, even though they have great pros, lack flavor,” De Sa Martins said. “The more flavorful the butter, the more flavor your pie crust will have,” Huntsberger added.
Why is my all butter 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.
What is the secret to a great pie crust? ›
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.
Why did butter leak out of pie crust? ›
Sometimes you can see leakage of butter from the crust around the edge of your pie dish. A little leakage is fine, but if you find that you are getting pools of butter, it is likely that you have not incorporated the butter well enough. Pie dough is cracking when you go to roll it out.
What are the 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.
Is it better to bake with Crisco or butter? ›
Cookies Made with Butter vs Shortening
Those made with only shortening bake higher and spread less during baking. The butter cookie provides better flavor and a crispier exterior with browning around edges and a chewy interior; the shortening cookie spreads less, holding its shape better while baking.
What is one thing you should not do when making pie crust? ›
A: First, don't just reach for more flour—too much extra flour will make the crust tough, and won't treat the real problem, which is that your butter is too soft. I recently read in Weller's cookbook A Good Bake that it should take no more than one to two minutes to roll out a pie crust.
Should you use cold or frozen butter for 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 happens if you don't chill pie dough? ›
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.
What does adding vinegar to your pie crust do? ›
Apple cider vinegar is added to relax the gluten proteins in your dough and tenderize it. You can also substitute it with an equal amount of white vinegar. Cold Water: For pie crusts that are flaky, cold water is a must. Adding warm liquid would melt the shortening that we carefully cut into our flour for flakiness.
Sugar: Not all pie crusts have sugar, but those that do will be more tender since sugar interferes with gluten development. In our experience, sugar can also make the pie dough so tender that it's hard to roll out and transfer to your pan without breaking. Egg: This makes the dough more pliable and easy to roll out.
What is the best flour to use for pie crust? ›
What kind of flour makes the best pie crust? Well, not high-protein bread flour! Use that for your chewy bagels. What you want for pie is flour that yields a tender, flaky crust, which means medium-protein all-purpose flour or low-protein pastry flour.
What happens if you add too much butter to a graham cracker crust? ›
Second, be sure to use the proper ratio of graham cracker crumbs to butter. If you have too much butter, the crust will sink down into the pie plate while baking.
Is it OK to have chunks of butter in pie crust? ›
You knead bread dough to develop and stretch the gluten. In pie crust, you don't want gluten to form so you don't want to mix too much and overwork the dough. For a flaky crust, cut the butter so that chunks of butter about the size of walnut halves remain. The chunks of cold butter create the layers in the dough.
Why does butter leak out of pastry when baking? ›
Help, butter leaks out when baking!
When under-proofed the butter tends to leak out from in between the layers and you end up with a butter puddle.
What's the best fat for pie crust? ›
Butter is prized for its sweet, rich flavor and is our preferred fat for pie crust recipes, but its low melting point and overall makeup can make it difficult to work with. Unlike shortening or lard, butter is not 100% fat. It contains on average 80% butterfat, 10 to 16% water, and a small percentage of milk solids.
What fat makes the best pastry? ›
The best fat for pastry-making
Unless you don't eat dairy, we recommend butter for flavour and texture. You can also try a 50/50 split between butter and lard, which works well for savoury recipes like quiches. Make sure your butter is really cold when you rub it in to the flour.
Can you use Crisco instead of butter for graham cracker crust? ›
With only 3 ingredients, you can quickly throw together a pie for any holiday or party and spend the rest of your time working on more important things. *Pro tip: If you'd rather make the crust with no butter, you can use coconut oil, olive oil, or shortening instead.
What are the two most common fats used to make pie crust? ›
Oil and margarine are the two most common fats used to make pie crust.
