Best 7 Leighs Basic Pie Crust Recipes

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Pie crust, a culinary canvas of endless possibilities, is the foundation upon which countless delectable creations take form. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting your pastry journey, Leigh's Basic Pie Crust recipe is the perfect place to begin. Discover the secrets to achieving a flaky, golden-brown crust that will elevate your pies, tarts, and quiches to new heights.

This comprehensive guide offers three variations of Leigh's Basic Pie Crust: the classic all-butter crust, a shortening-based crust for a more tender texture, and a vegan-friendly crust made with coconut oil. Each recipe is meticulously explained with step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and insightful troubleshooting advice.

Unleash your creativity and explore the diverse selection of pie fillings and toppings featured in this article. From the timeless allure of apple pie to the tangy delight of lemon meringue pie, the possibilities are limitless. Indulge in the rich, chocolatey decadence of chocolate cream pie or savor the rustic charm of a savory chicken pot pie.

With Leigh's Basic Pie Crust as your trusty companion, embark on a culinary adventure that will transform your kitchen into a pie-making haven. Impress your loved ones with homemade pies that are not only delicious but also a testament to your culinary prowess. Let the aroma of freshly baked pie fill your home and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

BASIC PIE CRUST



Basic Pie Crust image

Use this recipe when making our Coconut Custard Pie.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Pie & Tarts Recipes

Time 40m

Yield One 9-inch crust

Number Of Ingredients 5

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Steps:

  • In a food processor, briefly pulse flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Dont overmix.
  • Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over dough; press to shape into a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
  • On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll dough to a 14-inch round with a floured rolling pin. Wrap dough around rolling pin, discarding paper; unroll over a 9-inch pie plate (opposite). Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate (do not stretch dough).
  • Using kitchen shears, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang. Fold under itself to form a rim, and press to seal. Using thumb and forefinger, crimp rim of crust. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 day.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 138 g, Fat 9 g, Protein 2 g

EASY PIE CRUST



Easy Pie Crust image

Prep now and enjoy wonderful pies all season. Make the crust and topping in advance and keep them in the freezer for up to three months, then defrost fully before using.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Pie & Tarts Recipes

Time 1h40m

Yield Makes 2

Number Of Ingredients 4

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Steps:

  • To make the dough for the pie crust, mix 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Cut 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.
  • Add 4 tablespoons ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more tablespoons). Do not overwork.
  • Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
  • To form the pie shell, roll the dough on a floured surface into a 14-inch round. Wrap around rolling pin and carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate.
  • Fit gently into bottom and side of plate. Use kitchen shears to trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and seal to form a rim.
  • Crimp rim with fingertips and knuckle. Repeat with remaining dough; wrap each with plastic, stack, and freeze.

PIE CRUST



Pie Crust image

Some people shy away from making pie crusts. Here is a recipe to banish all fear, a simple dough of butter and all-purpose flour, easy to make and dependable as can be. If you plan to make a pie with a top crust, double the recipe; when it's time to chill the dough, divide it in half and shape into two disks to put in the fridge. The dough will also keep for 3 months in the freezer, if you want to stash a few disks there. Defrost in the fridge overnight.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories     pies and tarts, dessert

Time 1h45m

Yield One 9-inch single pie crust

Number Of Ingredients 4

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (150 grams)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water, as needed

Steps:

  • In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture forms lima bean-size pieces. Slowly add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist, but not wet.
  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

PERFECT PIE CRUST



Perfect Pie Crust image

Making the Perfect Pie Crust is easy with this step by step tutorial. Perfect pie crust every time!

Provided by Leigh Anne Wilkes

Categories     Dessert

Time 25m

Number Of Ingredients 5

2 1/2 C all purpose flour
1/2 C butter
1/2 C shortening
pinch of salt
ice cold water (add teaspoon by teaspoon until right consistency has formed)

Steps:

  • Place flour, salt, butter and shortening in bowl.
  • Use your hands to combine ingredients until small pebbles form
  • Add cold water a teaspoon at a time until the dough begins to hold together and form a ball.
  • Do not over handle the dough. Dough should be soft, moist but not wet.
  • Divide dough in half.
  • Place ball of dough onto wax paper and flatten. Place another piece of wax paper over the top and roll out the pastry into a circle. If your pie pan is 9 inch make sure your circle is bigger than 9 inches so you have enough for the edging..
  • Remove the top layer of wax paper and place pastry into pie tin. Remove other piece of wax paper and press pastry into pan. Use your fingers to crimp the edge of the crust.
  • Freeze for 30 minutes to firm up the pastry. This helps prevent pastry from shrinking during baking.
  • Prick the bottom of crust to prevent bubbling during baking.
  • If pie calls for a baked crust bake at 400 degrees. For the first 10-12 minutes keep the edges of pie covered with foil and then remove for the last 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown.
  • Recipe makes two 9" pie crusts

Nutrition Facts : Calories 119 kcal, Carbohydrate 9 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 8 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Sodium 34 mg, ServingSize 1 serving

BASIC FLAKY PIE CRUST



Basic Flaky Pie Crust image

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

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening, chilled
3 tablespoons ice water

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

LEIGH'S BASIC PIE CRUST



Leigh's Basic Pie Crust image

Make and share this Leigh's Basic Pie Crust recipe from Food.com.

Provided by Wendys Kitchen

Categories     Dessert

Time 10m

Yield 1 pie

Number Of Ingredients 5

1/2 cup of raw almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup of hulled sunflower seeds
5 -8 large pitted dates, depending on how sweet you like it
2 tablespoons of raw carob powder (optional)

Steps:

  • Put all ingredients into a food processor and utilizing the "S" blade, process well.
  • Mold the resulting dough into a 9 " glass pie pan.
  • This recipe also makes great candy. Just roll the dough into little balls and sprinkle with coconut, sesame seeds or ground almonds.

BASIC PIE CRUST I



Basic Pie Crust I image

This crust flaky all-butter crust is from "Rosie's Bakery: All-Butter Fresh Cream Sugar-Packed Baking Book." You mix it up easily in your food processor.

Provided by Roxygirl in Colorado

Categories     Dessert

Time 30m

Yield 1 9 inch pie

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 9 pieces
3 tablespoons ice water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
13 1/2 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into 14 pieces
4 1/2 tablespoons ice water

Steps:

  • Process the flour and salt in a food processor for 20 seconds.
  • Distribute the butter evenly over the flour and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 15-20 seconds.
  • With the food processor running, pour the ice water in a steady stream through the feed tube and process just until the dough comes together.
  • Knead the dough for several turns on a lightly floured surface to bring it together.
  • Shape the dough into a thick disks (or 2 for a double crust), wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  • To roll out the dough, place the chilled dough between 2 pieces of waxed paper (helps tremendously in rolling out!) and roll it out to a circle 2 inches bigger than the size of the pie pan.
  • Fit the dough into a 9-inch (greased) pie plate and trim the edges.
  • Keep the crust in the refrigerator until ready to fill.
  • If prebaking the crust, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or stick in the freezer before baking (I always freeze it).

Nutrition Facts : Calories 4110.8, Fat 264.1, SaturatedFat 164.9, Cholesterol 686.9, Sodium 3140.2, Carbohydrate 381.7, Fiber 13.5, Sugar 1.5, Protein 54.4

Tips:

  • Chill your ingredients and equipment. This will help prevent the butter from melting and make the dough easier to handle.
  • Use a pastry blender or two forks to cut the butter into the flour. This will help create a flaky crust.
  • Do not overwork the dough. Overworking the dough will make it tough.
  • Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. This will help prevent the dough from shrinking in the oven.
  • Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. This will prevent the dough from sticking.
  • Trim the edges of the dough evenly. This will help the dough seal properly.
  • Bake the pie crust in a preheated oven. This will help the crust cook evenly.

Conclusion:

With a little practice, you'll be able to make a perfect pie crust every time. Just remember to keep your ingredients and equipment cold, work the dough quickly and gently, and chill the dough before baking. With these tips in mind, you'll be able to create delicious and beautiful pies that will impress your family and friends.

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