Indulge in the art of baking with our comprehensive guide to prebaked pie shells, the perfect foundation for your culinary creations. Discover the secrets to crafting flaky, golden-brown pie shells that will elevate your pies, tarts, and quiches to new heights. From classic all-butter crusts to healthier whole wheat and gluten-free options, we've got you covered. Learn how to blind-bake your shells to perfection, ensuring they hold their shape and remain crispy. Explore creative ideas for fillings, from classic fruit pies to savory meat and vegetable fillings. With step-by-step instructions and expert tips, this guide will turn you into a pie-making pro.
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PREBAKED PIE CRUST
Use this crust to make Alexis's Sweet Potato Pie -- it makes a sensational Thanksgiving dessert.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Pie & Tarts Recipes
Yield Makes two 8- or 9-inch single-crust pies or one 8- or 9-inch double-crust pie
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Place flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process for a few seconds to combine. Add butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube, just until the dough holds together. Do not process for more than 30 seconds.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Divide in two. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten and form two discs. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a 1/8-inch-thick round. Fit into desired pie plate (8 to 10 inches in diameter). Trim pastry using scissors or a sharp paring knife. Crimp or decorate the edges of the pastry as desired. Transfer to refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prick the bottom of pastry all over with a fork. Line the pastry with parchment paper; fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until pastry begins to color around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and weights and continue to bake just until the pastry dries out and turns a light golden color for a partially baked shell, and a deeper amber for a fully baked shell, 10 to 20 minutes more. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
PERFECT BAKED PIE CRUST
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
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients. Fresh butter, cold water, and all-purpose flour are essential for a flaky, tender pie crust.
- Work quickly and keep the dough cold. Overworking the dough will make it tough, so work quickly and keep the dough cold at all times.
- Don't over-mix the dough. Mix the dough just until it comes together, then stop. Over-mixing will make the dough tough.
- Chill the dough before rolling it out. This will help prevent the dough from shrinking in the oven.
- Roll the dough out evenly. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/8 inch.
- Trim the edges of the dough. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges of the dough so that they are even.
- Pre-bake the pie shell before filling it. This will help prevent the bottom of the pie from becoming soggy.
- Use pie weights to keep the pie shell from bubbling up. Pie weights are small, ceramic beans that are used to weigh down the pie crust while it is baking. This will help prevent the pie crust from bubbling up and shrinking.
- Bake the pie shell until it is golden brown. The pie shell should be baked until it is golden brown and cooked through. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
Conclusion:
Pre-baking a pie shell is a great way to ensure that your pie crust is flaky, tender, and cooked through. By following these tips, you can easily pre-bake a pie shell that is perfect for your next pie recipe.
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