Best 6 Perfect Baked Pie Crust Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

Indulge in the Art of Pie Crust Perfection: Explore a Culinary Journey of Classic and Unique Recipes

Embark on a culinary adventure with our curated selection of pie crust recipes, encompassing both classic and inventive techniques. Discover the secrets to crafting the perfect pie crust, from the traditional all-butter crust to the flaky and flavorful rough puff pastry. Elevate your pie-making skills with our expert tips and detailed instructions, ensuring a golden-brown, crispy crust that will elevate any filling.

Unleash your creativity with our collection of unique pie crust variations, such as the savory cheddar cheese crust, the nutty and aromatic almond crust, and the vibrant beetroot crust. Experiment with different flours, fats, and flavorings to create crusts that complement and enhance the fillings, transforming your pies into culinary masterpieces.

Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting your pie-making journey, this comprehensive guide provides all the knowledge and techniques you need to create exceptional pie crusts that will impress your family and friends. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's embark on a delightful journey of pie crust perfection.

**Recipes Included:**

1. **Classic All-Butter Pie Crust:** Master the timeless recipe for a golden-brown, flaky all-butter pie crust, the foundation of countless classic pies.

2. **Rough Puff Pastry:** Create the impressive rough puff pastry, known for its distinctive layers and buttery flavor, perfect for pies that demand a touch of elegance.

3. **Savory Cheddar Cheese Crust:** Elevate your savory pies with this flavorful cheddar cheese crust, adding a cheesy and tangy dimension to your favorite fillings.

4. **Nutty Almond Crust:** Discover the unique nutty flavor and delicate texture of an almond crust, complementing fruit pies and tarts with its sophisticated taste.

5. **Vibrant Beetroot Crust:** Add a pop of color and earthy sweetness to your pies with this vibrant beetroot crust, sure to impress with its visual appeal and delightful flavor.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

PERFECT PIE CRUST



Perfect Pie Crust image

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

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

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.

PERFECT PIE CRUST



Perfect Pie Crust image

Intimidated by pie dough? This flaky pie crust recipe walks you through every step for the perfect pie. Use all butter or a combo of butter and shortening. Plus learn how to blind-bake a pie crust.

Provided by Elise Bauer

Categories     Dessert     Baking     Pie     Pie Crust     Pie Dough

Time 1h15m

Number Of Ingredients 5

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Steps:

  • Mix the flour, sugar, and salt: Put flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple times to mix.
  • Add the butter, half at a time, pulsing several times after each addition: Add about half of the butter to the food processor and pulse several times. Then add the rest of the butter and pulse 6 to 8 times until the largest pieces of butter are about the size of large peas.
  • Slowly add the ice water: Sprinkle the mixture with 4 tablespoons of the ice water (make sure there are no ice cubes in the water!) and pulse again. Then add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition until the dough just barely begins to hold together. You may not need all the water. The mixture is ready when a small handful of the crumbly dough holds together when you pinch it with your fingers.
  • Make two dough discs: Carefully empty the crumbly dough mixture from the food processor on to a clean, dry, flat surface. Gather the mixture in a mound. Divide the dough mixture into two even-sized mounds. Use your hands and knead each mound just enough to form each one into a disc. Do not over-knead! Kneading develops gluten which will toughen the dough, not something you want in a pastry crust. You should just knead enough so that the dough holds together without cracks. If you started with cold butter you should be able to see small chunks of butter speckling the dough. This is a good thing. These small bits of butter will spread out into layers as the crust cooks so you have a flaky crust! Sprinkle each disc with a little flour, wrap each one in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour or up to 2 days.
  • Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit for a few minutes: Remove one crust disc from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier.
  • Roll out dough, place in pie dish: Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.
  • Add filling to the pie
  • Roll out second disc, place on top of filling: Roll out second disc of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork. Score the top of the pie with four 2-inch long cuts, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape.
  • Freeze the crust it for at least a half hour: until chilled. This is an important step in pre-baking. Otherwise the crust will slip down the sides. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  • Line pie crust with aluminum foil: When the pie crust is sufficiently chilled, line the pie crust with aluminum foil. Let the foil extend over by a few inches on two sides to make it easier to lift to remove the pie weights when the baking is done.
  • Fill with pie weights: Fill the crust to the top with pie weights - dry beans, rice, or sugar. (Sugar works best.)
  • Bake: Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes if making a crust for a pie that will require further cooking, for example a quiche. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes if making a crust for a pie that you don't need to bake further.
  • Cool completely before filling: You may need to tent the edges of the pie with aluminum foil when you bake your pie, to keep the edges from getting too dried out and burnt. See more detailed instructions and photos for how to blind bake a crust here .
  • Make the dough: Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse 4 times. Add shortening in tablespoon sized chunks, and pulse 4 more times. The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no bigger than peas. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over flour mixture. Pulse a couple times. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, keep adding water, a teaspoon at a time, pulsing once after each addition, until the mixture just begins to clump together.
  • Form discs: Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Divide the dough into 2 balls and flatten each into 4 inch wide disks. Do not over-knead the dough! Dust the discs lightly with flour, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 2 days before rolling out.
  • Roll out the dough: After the dough has chilled in the refrigerator for an hour, you can take it out to roll. If it is too stiff, you may need to let it sit for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before rolling. Sprinkle a little flour on a flat, clean work surface and on top of the disc of dough you intend to roll out. (We use a Tupperware pastry sheet that has the pie circles already marked.) Using a rolling pin, apply light pressure while rolling outwards from the center of the dough. Every once in a while you may need to gently lift under the dough (a pastry scraper works great for this) to make sure it is not sticking. You have a big enough piece of dough when you place the pie tin or pie dish upside down on the dough and the dough extends by at least 2 inches all around.
  • Place into pie dish: When the dough has reached the right size, gently fold it in half. Lift up the dough and place it so that the folded edge is along the center line of the pie dish. Gently unfold. Do not stretch the dough.
  • If single crust pie: trim edges: If you are only making a single crust pie, use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the lip of the dish. Tuck the overhang underneath itself along the edge of the pie dish. Use your fingers in a pinching motion, or the tines of a fork to crimp the edge of the pie crust.
  • If making double crust pie: roll the second crust: If you are making a double crust pie, roll out the second disc of dough. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Use a kitchen scissors to trim the overhang to an inch over. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Finish the double crust by pressing against the edges of the pie with your finger tips or with a fork.
  • Make vents in the top: Use a sharp knife to cut vents into the top of the pie crust, so the steam has a place to escape while the pie is cooking. Before scoring, you may want to paint the top of your crust with an egg wash (this will make a nice finish).
  • Beat egg yolk with cream and brush on the surface of the pie with a pastry brush.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 370 kcal, Carbohydrate 31 g, Cholesterol 109 mg, Fiber 1 g, Protein 5 g, SaturatedFat 15 g, Sodium 279 mg, Sugar 1 g, Fat 25 g, UnsaturatedFat 0 g

PERFECT BAKED PIE CRUST



Perfect Baked Pie Crust image

Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories     Side Dish

Time 1h15m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 4

1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 475°F. Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
  • Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
  • Roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired. Prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with fork.
  • Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown; cool on wire rack.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 Serving

PERFECT PIE CRUST



Perfect Pie Crust image

The perfect pie crust is tender, light, flaky, and golden and lends itself to all of the Thanksgiving favorites.

Provided by Martha Stewart

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

Yield Makes two 8- to 10-inch crusts

Number Of Ingredients 5

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, plus more for pie plate
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Steps:

  • Cut each stick of butter into 8 pieces, and refrigerate until needed. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and mix to combine.
  • Add the chilled butter. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture; the mixture should resemble coarse meal with small pieces of butter, the size of small peas, remaining visible.
  • Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over the flour-butter mixture, and blend. Repeat with an additional 2 tablespoons water. At this point, you may have to add more water: When a handful of dough squeezed together just holds its shape, you've added enough; if the dough crumbles, continue incorporating water, 1 tablespoon at a time, checking the consistency after each additional tablespoon.
  • Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two equal pieces, and place on two separate sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two disks. Wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Place the chilled dough in the center of the work surface, and dust the dough as well as the rolling pin with flour. Position the rolling pin on the center of the disk, and begin rolling the dough away from you. Give the disk a quarter turn, and roll again. Continue turning and rolling until you have an even 1/8-inch thickness. Turning the dough as you roll will prevent it from sticking to the work surface. A dry pastry brush is handy to remove any excess flour during and after the rolling process.
  • Lightly butter the pie plate. To minimize stretching when moving the dough, roll it around the pin, lift up, and unroll over the buttered pie plate. Using your fingers, gently pat the dough into place. Trim any excess dough with a paring knife or kitchen shears, leaving a 1-inch overhang; then fold dough under to reinforce the edge.

PERFECT PIE CRUST



Perfect Pie Crust image

This classic dough contains no special ingredients, just flour, salt, butter and water, but it works like a dream. The recipe makes a single crust for a 9-inch pie; simply double it to make a double-crust pie. (If you make it by hand, you can even triple or quadruple the recipe.) If you'd prefer to use a food processor, you can, and it's a good idea if you have warm hands. To do so, pulse the butter into the flour mixture a few times, until the butter is the size of walnut halves or peas, then transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and proceed with adding the water. (Adding the water in the food processor often leads to hydration problems and overmixing, which is why you should do that part by hand no matter what.) The dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months (thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before rolling it out).

Provided by Erin Jeanne McDowell

Categories     pies and tarts, dessert

Time 30m

Yield 1 single crust for a 9-inch pie

Number Of Ingredients 4

1 ¼ cup/160 grams all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup/115 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt to combine. Add the butter, tossing the cubes through the flour until the pieces are separated from one another and each piece is coated.
  • Cut the butter into the flour by pressing the pieces between your palms or fingertips, flattening the cubes into big shards and continuing to toss them in the flour to recoat the shards. The size of the butter will vary depending on the kind of pie you're making: For fruit pies, stop when the butter pieces are about the size of walnut halves. For custard pies, stop when the butter pieces are smaller, about the size of peas.
  • Make a well in the center of the mixture. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and mix it in by tossing the flour in the bowl. (This tossing movement lets the moisture incorporate without allowing too much gluten formation.)
  • Continue to add ice water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough begins to come together. As it comes together, fold it over itself a few times to make sure it's homogenous. The dough should hold together without noticeable cracks (a sign of underhydration), but it should not be wet or tacky to the touch (a sign of overhydration).
  • Form the dough into a disk about 1-inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using, and up to 2 days. (It can also be frozen for up to 3 months, then thawed overnight before using.)

PERFECT PIE CRUST



Perfect Pie Crust image

Provided by Ina Garten

Time 55m

Yield Makes two 9- to 11-inch crusts

Number Of Ingredients 6

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening, such as Crisco
1/2 cup ice water

Steps:

  • Cut the butter in 1/2-inch dice and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, sugar, and salt 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 onto 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 at least 1 inch larger than the pie pan, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough so it doesn¿t stick to the board. (You should see bits of butter in the dough.) Fold the dough in half, ease it into the pie pan without stretching at all, and unfold to fit the pan. With a small sharp paring knife, cut the dough 1 inch larger around than the pan. Fold the edge under and crimp the edge with either your fingers or the tines of a fork.

Tips:

  • Use cold ingredients: This will help prevent the butter from melting and making the crust tough.
  • Work quickly: The less time the dough is handled, the flakier it will be.
  • Don't overmix the dough: Overmixing will make the crust tough.
  • Chill the dough before rolling it out: This will help it hold its shape and prevent it from shrinking in the oven.
  • Use a sharp knife to cut the dough: A dull knife will tear the dough and make it difficult to get a clean edge.
  • Don't overbake the crust: A slightly underbaked crust is better than an overbaked one. The crust should be golden brown and firm to the touch.

Conclusion:

Baking a perfect pie crust can be a daunting task, but it's definitely possible with a little practice. Whether you prefer a flaky crust, fluffy crust, or crispy crust — the only way to truly perfect your favorite recipe is to try, try again. Experiment with different dough ratios, cooking temperatures, and chilling times to find the perfect combination that suits your taste and expertise.

Related Topics