Indulge in the art of creating a flaky, golden pie crust using your trusty food processor. This comprehensive guide offers a collection of recipes that cater to various dietary preferences and skill levels. From classic all-butter crusts to vegan and gluten-free options, discover the perfect recipe to elevate your pies, tarts, and quiches. Learn the secrets of achieving the ideal balance between tenderness and flakiness, ensuring that your baked goods become the star of the show.
Here are our top 9 tried and tested recipes!
EASY ALL-BUTTER FLAKY PIE CRUST
This pie crust recipe makes consistent dough and makes dough that's a dream to roll out. Using a food processor in this recipe eliminates variability. If you have one, use it. With that said, you can do this method by hand. Directions are provided below for using a processor and by hand.
Provided by Adam and Joanne Gallagher
Categories Dessert, Pie
Time 1h15m
Yield Enough for one 9-inch double crust pie
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Add 1 ½ cups flour, salt, and sugar (optional) to a food processor. Pulse 2 to 3 times until combined. The remaining cup of flour will be added later.
- Scatter butter cubes over flour and process until a dough or paste begins to form, about 15 seconds. (There should be no uncoated flour).
- Scrape bowl, redistribute the flour-butter mixture then add remaining 1 cup of flour. Pulse 4 to 5 times until flour is evenly distributed. (Dough should look broken up and a little crumbly).
- Transfer to a medium bowl then sprinkle ice water over mixture - start with 4 tablespoons and add from there. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs should begin to form larger clusters. If you pinch some of the dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough falls apart, add 2 to 4 more tablespoons of water and continue to press until dough comes together.
- Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Work the dough just enough to form a ball. Cut the ball in half then form each half into discs. Wrap each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months (just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using it).
- Add 1 1/2 cups flour, salt and sugar (optional) to a medium bowl. Stir 2 to 3 times until combined.
- Scatter butter cubes over flour and mix briefly with a fork or spatula to coat the butter with flour.
- Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender, working mixture until the flour has a coarse, mealy texture similar to fresh bread crumbs. About 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add remaining 1 cup of flour. Work butter and flour with the pastry blender until flour is evenly distributed. About 20 seconds. (Dough should look crumbly with pea-sized pieces).
- Sprinkle ice water over the mixture - start with 4 tablespoons and add from there. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs should begin to form larger clusters. If you pinch some of the dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough falls apart, add 2 to 4 more tablespoons of water and continue to press until dough comes together.
- Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Work the dough just enough to form a ball. Cut ball in half then form each half into discs. Wrap each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months (just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using).
- Remove one of the dough discs from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Lightly flour work surface, top of dough and rolling pin. Then use rolling pin to roll out dough to a 12-inch circle (about 1/8-inch thick). Be sure to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below - add a small amount of flour when necessary.
- Check for size by inverting pie dish over dough round. Look for a 1-inch edge around the pie dish. To transfer dough to dish, starting at one end, roll dough around rolling pin then unroll over dish.
- Gently press dough down into dish so that it lines the bottom and sides of the dish. (Be careful not to pull or stretch the dough). Then, use a knife or pair of kitchen scissors to trim dough to within 1/2-inch of the edge of the dish.
- Fold edge of dough underneath itself so that it creates a thicker, 1/4-inch border that rests on the lip of the dish. Then, crimp edges by pressing the pointer finger of one hand against the edge of the dough from the inside of the dish while gently pressing with two knuckles of the other hand from the outside. Refrigerate dough at least 20 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes before baking.
- If making a double crust pie, do not crimp edges yet. Roll out second dough disc, fill pie then top with second dough round. Trim the edges then crimp.
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a baking sheet on a middle oven rack.
- Roll out enough dough to make one 9-inch crust (1 dough disk). Place into a pie plate and then pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork (this prevent air pockets or bubbles from forming while baking). Line the crust with two sheets of aluminum foil or parchment paper. (Be sure to push foil against the edges of the crust). Then, fill foil with dried rice, dried beans or pie weights. Refrigerate 30 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
- Place pie crust onto preheated baking sheet and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden.
- Make an egg wash by whisking one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of cream in a small bowl. Then, remove rice, beans or pie weights and foil from pie crust. Brush the bottom and sides of the crust with egg wash. Bake until egg wash is dry and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool crust completely before filling.
- Oven temperature and bake time for double crust pies will vary depending on the pie recipe you plan to follow. As an example, we set our oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for our double crust cherry pie (see the recipe here).
- Remove half of dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 13-inch (1/8-inch thick) circle.
- Check for size by inverting pie dish over dough round. Look for a 1-inch edge around the pie dish. Carefully press the dough into the dish. Spoon the pie filling into pie crust.
- Roll out second half of dough then top pie. Use a knife or pair of kitchen scissors to trim dough to within 3/4-inch of the edge of the dish.
- Fold edges of top crust underneath edges of bottom crust, pressing the edge to seal it so that it creates a thicker, 1/4-inch border that rests on the lip of the dish. Then, crimp edges by pressing the pointer finger of one hand against the edge of the dough from the inside of the dish while gently pressing with two knuckles of the other hand from the outside. Refrigerate pie at least 20 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes before baking.
- Just before baking, make egg wash by whisking egg yolk and cream together in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush over the top crust. Then, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Then, cut 3 to 4 slits in top of pie. Bake as directed by the specific recipe you are following.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1/8 of dough, Calories 345, Protein 4 g, Carbohydrate 30 g, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 0 g, Fat 23 g, SaturatedFat 15 g, Cholesterol 61 mg
PERFECT PIE CRUST
Try this recipe for Perfect Pie Crust from Food Network's Ina Garten.
Provided by Ina Garten
Categories dessert
Yield 2 (10-inch) crusts
Number Of Ingredients 6
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.
PERFECTLY FLAKY PIE CRUST
Provided by Aida Mollenkamp
Categories dessert
Time 35m
Yield about 1 pound dough (enough for 1 (9 to 10-inch pie dish))
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, and sugar until well combined. Using clean hands, add butter and toss until just coated. Rub butter between thumb and forefingers to incorporate into flour mixture until butter is in lima bean-sized pieces and comes together in quarter-sized clumps when squeezed in palm, about 2 minutes. Add shortening, toss until just coated in flour, then rub into flour mixture until mixture forms pea-size pieces (some big chunks should remain) and comes together in fist-sized clumps when squeezed, about 1 minute. Drizzle in half ice water and rake through mixture with fingers until just moistened. Drizzle in remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and comb through mixture with fingers to moisten. It will go from being a shaggy mess to coming together. Dough is moist enough when it is moistened through but is not wet when pressed. (Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.)
- While rotating the bowl with 1 hand, push dough between other palm and side of bowl to gather into a ball. Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close in wrap. Place in coldest part of refrigerator (usually back bottom shelf) at least 30 minutes before rolling out and forming into a crust.
FLAKY FOOD PROCESSOR PIE CRUST
If you've never made pastry dough in the food processor, you're in for a treat. This recipe is foolproof and easy. Make sure all the ingredients are chilled, plop them into the processor, and that's it. You'll get flaky, manageable dough.
Provided by Cucina Casalingo
Categories Dessert
Time 40m
Yield 1 pie crust, 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Measure the flour into the processor with the regular blade attached. Add the unsalted butter, cut into cubes, and lard, cut into cubes. (Your fat should be frozen or very cold). Add salt. Pulse three times with three counts per pulse to lightly mix the ingredients.
- With the motor running, pour ice water into the work bowl just until the dough starts to get noticeably crumbly. Don't wait until it is a big clump or it will be way too wet and will turn out tough.
- Stop the machine, dump the crumbly dough into a bowl, and gather the dough into a ball with your hands. You can squeeze it a bit to make it stick together. If it just won't form a ball, add a tiny bit more water. (Note that if you are making crust in the food processor, you will use less water than most recipes call for).
- Wrap your dough ball in plastic wrap and chill it about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll it out on a cool surface if you can. Then follow your pie recipe for baking.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 208.4, Fat 14, SaturatedFat 6.8, Cholesterol 22.9, Sodium 146.7, Carbohydrate 17.9, Fiber 0.6, Sugar 0.1, Protein 2.5
BASIC FLAKY PIE CRUST
It is just what it claims to be. Use as unbaked pie shell.
Provided by stephanie
Categories Desserts Pies 100+ Pie Crust Recipes Pastry Crusts
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium size bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water over flour. Toss mixture with a fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together.
- Gently gather dough particles together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
- Roll out dough, and put in a pie plate. Fill with desired filling and bake.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 184.4 calories, Carbohydrate 14.9 g, Fat 13 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 2 g, SaturatedFat 3.2 g, Sodium 73.2 mg, Sugar 0.1 g
BUTTER FLAKY PIE CRUST
Butter makes this buttery flaky recipe the perfect crust for your pie!
Provided by Dana
Categories Desserts Pies Pie Crusts Pastry Crusts
Time 4h15m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 172.8 calories, Carbohydrate 14.9 g, Cholesterol 30.5 mg, Fat 11.7 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 2.1 g, SaturatedFat 7.3 g, Sodium 155 mg, Sugar 0.1 g
SINGLE FLAKY PIE CRUST (FOOD PROCESSOR)
This is a terrific all-purpose pie crust that you can use during the holiday season (or all year long) for your single-crust pie. This can be prepapred 2 days ahead of use; simply cover and refrigerate.
Provided by JackieOhNo
Categories Pie
Time 40m
Yield 9 inch pie crust
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Mix flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Add butter and shortening. Using on/off pulses, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle 3 T. ice water over mixture. Process just until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until dough is firm enough to roll out, about 30 minutes.
- Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface to 12-inch round. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold overhang under. Crimp edges decoratively.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 165.8, Fat 10.7, SaturatedFat 5.7, Cholesterol 20.4, Sodium 130.8, Carbohydrate 15.5, Fiber 0.5, Sugar 1.4, Protein 2
FLAKY PIE CRUST
This recipe makes two (2) pie crusts, and freezes VERY well. This recipe can be made by hand, or using a food processor. (I make mine by hand since I do not own one). Please make sure not to overprocess the ingredients, as this will result in a very tough crust, not tender and flaky as it should be! The key to a flaky crust is to have all the ingredients COLD when you start. I like to put everything (flour and all) in the freezer for up to 30 minutes before I start. You may also use 1 cup of vegetable shortning, or 1 cup of non-dairy butter, instead of 1/2 cup of each. I prefer using a mix of the two!
Provided by Kozmic Blues
Categories Dessert
Time 30m
Yield 2 crusts
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Measure out flour, sugar and salt in a bowl, and place in freezer.
- Cube butter and shortning into 1/2 inch cubes and place in freezer as well, for up to 30 mintues.
- Combine the chilled fats to the bowl of flour/sugar/salt, and pinch together with your fingers to combine, until mixture is about the size of small peas. You can also use a pastry cutter, but I find my hands work even better.
- Slowly drizzle ice water over the top and gently knead until no dry patches remain.
- Try to press the dough together with your fingers, and it should hold together.
- If not, sprinkle some more ice water, and knead a tiny bit more.
- The dough should look rather rough, not smooth like bread or pizza dough.
- Divide in half and press each half into a round flat disk, wrap in plastice wrap.
- Refrigerate disks for at least 30 mintues, (or up to several days) before rolling out pie.
- Roll out the dough.
- If dough has been chilling for longer than 30 minutes, let it stand at room temperature until pliable enough to roll.
- Flour your work surface and roll out dough, working from the middle out, in all directions.
- Roll out dough 3-4 inches larger than your pie pan so you can cover the entire bottom and create a rim.
- Roll dough over your pin, and transfer to your pie pan.
- Trim any excess dough, leaving about 3/4 inch around the edge.
- Follow the instrucitons what whatever pie you will be making.
- The second half of the dough can be used for another pie, or to top this one!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1435.4, Fat 98.2, SaturatedFat 22.9, Sodium 1117.1, Carbohydrate 121.8, Fiber 4.2, Sugar 2.5, Protein 16.6
FLAKY PIE CRUST
Good & easy enough for a beginner like me. It came from Bon Appetit June 2000 at Epicurious.com. This is my first posting on Recipezaar, but this turned out so beautifully that I had to share it. We don't have a have a food processor, so I used a whisk, (takes some elbow grease) and I didn't freeze the vegetable shortening, or chill the dough first, and I used regular margarine cold straight out of the frig., as we don't like butter. I put foil around the edges of the crust so that it wouldn't get too brown, and took them off at near the end of the baking time to a get a golden brown crust, and I did freeze the crusts in the pan before putting the pumpkin mixture in, as suggested in the Spiced Pumpkin Pie recipe I used. I also did as others suggested in rolling it out between 2 sheets of waxed paper, and dusting lightly with flour so it wouldn't stick & it was a dream to work with. It turned out great. I'll post the Spiced Pumpkin Pie also in case anyone wants to try it. This recipe makes enough dough for two crusts.
Provided by Teresa M
Categories Pie
Time 1h10m
Yield 2 nine inch pie crusts, 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor.
- Add shortening and butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Transfer mixture to bowl.
- Mix 6 tablespoons ice water and vinegar in small bowl; pour over flour mixture.
- Stir with fork until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.
- Gather dough into 2 balls; flatten each into disk.
- Wrap each in plastic and chill 30 minutes.
- (Can be prepared ahead and refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Soften slightly at room temperature before using).
- Zelly Bell I'd say you have a way more modern oven than I do, thank goodness, and you should "tailor" this recipe to what what works for you and your oven, as I imagine most ovens are newer than mine, which I'm just used to mine now, and can even bake good cookies from scratch with it now. This recipe is simply a good easy pie crust easy enough for a beginner in even a not user-friendly oven.
- Please Do NOT be intimidated at making your own pie crust, it's not that much work and way worth it. It's more enjoyable when they compliment you to say, "I made it from scratch". Bottom line it's worth trying. If I can make a good pie crust you can too.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 202.2, Fat 14.5, SaturatedFat 6.1, Cholesterol 15.2, Sodium 183.1, Carbohydrate 16.1, Fiber 0.5, Sugar 1.2, Protein 2.1
Tips:
- Use cold butter. Cold butter is easier to work with and will help prevent the pie crust from becoming tough.
- Work quickly. The more you handle the dough, the more the butter will melt and the tougher the pie crust will be.
- Don't overmix the dough. Overmixing the dough will make it tough.
- Chill the dough before rolling it out. This will help prevent the dough from shrinking in the oven.
- Use a light touch when rolling out the dough. Rolling the dough too hard will make it tough.
- Bake the pie crust at a high temperature. This will help create a flaky crust.
- Let the pie crust cool completely before filling it. This will help prevent the filling from making the crust soggy.
Conclusion:
Making a flaky pie crust in a food processor is easy if you follow these tips. With a little practice, you'll be able to make perfect pie crusts every time. So, grab your food processor and let's get started!
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