Did you know that until recently, I was a card-carrying member of the Pie Crust Haters Fan Club? My pie mantra was, “Just give me the filling!”
This oddity, coupled with the fact that I had failed miserably to make any homemade pie crust, had turned me into a dedicated pie crust hater.
All that changed after discovering a recipe from Ina Garten entitled Perfect Pie Crust. Since its discovery I have made it enough to say that it consistently produces a delicious, flaky, nearly foolproof crust.
As Ina suggests, if you are willing to follow a few, basic instructions, you’ll soon be on your way to creating delicious pie crusts of your very own. And whether you are baking at home or for guests of a bed & breakfast inn, this recipe makes a great addition to your collection, as there there just may be some opportunities to put it to use in the near future (hint, hint).
FYI - I am always on the lookout for terrific pie crust recipes. If you have a pie crust recipe you absolutely swear by (and one that’s nearly foolproof,) you are invited to share it (or provide a link) in the comment section of this post.
10 Easy Steps to Perfect Pie Crust
(recipe from Ina Garten)
- 12 tablespoons (1 & 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening (Ina suggests Crisco)
- 6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water
This recipe produces two 10-inch pie crusts.
Assembly
(1) Dice the butter and shortening and return it to the refrigerator while preparing the flour mixture. It’s extremely important that the cold ingredients remain cold.
(2) Place the flour, salt and sugar into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix.
(3) Using the pre-diced and chilled butter and shortening, add it to the flour mixture and pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas.
(4) With the food processor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and continue pulsing until the dough begins to form a ball.
(5) Dump the dough onto a floured surface and finish by rolling gently into a ball.
(6) Next, wrap the entire ball of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes (this relaxes the dough and is an important step before rolling.)
(7) When 30 minutes have elapsed, remove the ball of dough from the refrigerator and cut in equal halves.
(8) Roll each half onto a well-floured surface and form into a circle, rolling from the center of the dough to its edge.
(9) Turn and flour the dough often to make sure it isn’t sticking to your work surface.
(10) When the dough is rolled out to your required diameter, fold it in half and transfer to your pie pan or dish. Unfold gently, pressing and fitting the crust into the pan without stretching the dough.
Repeat as needed with the second crust.
Note - If you don’t need a second pie crust at the moment, you have two options: (1) halve the recipe above and prepare only one crust at a time, or (2) go ahead and prepare two crusts, only wrapping, folding and storing the second crust in your freezer until you need it next.
Freezing the second crust is a great way to plan ahead because you only make a one mess and you’ll have a homemade crust awaiting you next time you need a single-crust for pie.
To prepare a pie crust for freezing, simply layer it between two sheets of parchment paper (to prevent sticking) and begin by gently folding it in half, and then in half again, ultimately creating a crust that is folded into quarters. Next, wrap the folded crust in plastic wrap and place it inside a freezer-safe bag.
Be sure to write the date on the bag and use before the crust expires, approximately 6 months or longer.
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on Oct 5th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
This is very helpful. I just went apple picking! Guess what’s coming next.
on Oct 5th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
That pie crust looks great! I wish I was one that eschewed pie crust but I always love the buttery crust. I always used to buy it but I’ve finally discovered two really good pie crusts. One’s a sweet one here from all people, Cindy Crawford lol: http://www.notquitenigella.com/2008/09/15/cindy-crawfords-strawberry-pie/
and the second is a quiche crust that could be used for a savoury pie (sooo flakey and buttery) http://www.notquitenigella.com/2008/09/25/kiss-me-quiche/
on Oct 5th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
I am a member of the pie crust haters club myself. I will have to give this recipe a try though…because never say never:D
on Oct 5th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Hellllooooo Pillsbury?
on Oct 5th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Mary - Peach Pie?
Lorraine - That’s right! How could I have forgotten about Cindy Crawford’s crust for strawberry piet?! As for the quiche crust, anything that starts with “kiss me quiche” can’t be all bad. Thanks so much for sharing your links, I will give your buttery suggestions a whirl!
Val - If there’s anyone who could convert a pie crust hater, it’s Ina Garten!
Mental P Mama - lol…believe me…Pillsbury and I are well acquainted.
on Oct 6th, 2008 at 2:27 am
Okay I’ll have to give this one a whirl, sounds like we were a member of the same club.
on Oct 6th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
One thing I love about Ina Garten is that she doesn’t let recipes go to print until they are thoroughly tested. I’ve never made anything from one of her recipes that didn’t work. (I’m still a Pillsbury store-bought crust person, though.)
on Oct 6th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Umm… I’ve been a card carrying member of that club, too!
Thanks for the inspiration.
on Oct 7th, 2008 at 11:28 am
your tips are great for a person who, like me, cares more about the crust (and the ice cream on top) than the filling. thanks!
on Oct 7th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Nice work on the pie crust! Its funny, I’d never learned to hate pie crust because learning my first pie also somehow resulted in learning the crust. I’ve had good times and bad times doing it (because when it doesn’t go quite right, I can get in quite a mood), but in the end, me and the crust always kiss and make up. Glad to see you’ve joined the club!
Some things that I’ve also found helpful: put a layer of plastic wrap over the dough before you use the rolling pin. You can use a lot less flour for dusting and have far fewer sticking problems. It also makes transferring the dough easier (since you’ll also find that you can now roll it out a lot thinner, too). I tend to do a sheet of plastic underneath and over the dough so that I can use it to put it right in my pie pan in one clean motion. Its hard to quite describe in words, but it makes maneuvering the dough a lot easier, IMO.
One thing that still is a coin toss for me though is making a nice looking lattice on top. lol, if you want to risk an angry mood, in the last step, that’s a great way to do it.
on Oct 7th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Thanks SO much for the tip about freezing the extra dough, I will definitely do that. As I hate making pie dough (I have no food processor) one mess is enough for me!
on Oct 8th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
What a timely post. I’m entering our community’s pie contest this weekend and I’m horrible, HORRIBLE at crust. I’ll print this out for help!
on Oct 9th, 2008 at 3:04 am
:)) I prefer the filling too but as soon as I find that perfect pie crust that might change. Thanks for the tutorial and the tip!
on Oct 12th, 2008 at 1:30 am
You make it look so easy. Still testing out several recipes and I’m adding this to the list!