Tender, flaky pie crust is the foundation of many delicious desserts and savory dishes. Whether you're making a classic apple pie, a quiche, or a pot pie, the perfect pie crust can elevate your dish to new heights. This article provides three different recipes for tender pie crust: a classic all-butter crust, a shortening-based crust, and a gluten-free crust. Each recipe includes step-by-step instructions and tips for achieving the perfect crust. With these recipes, you'll be able to create a variety of delicious pies and tarts that are sure to impress your family and friends.
Here are our top 3 tried and tested recipes!
TENDER PIE CRUST
Categories Quick & Easy Vinegar Fall Summer Bon Appétit
Yield Makes 2 dough disks (enough for 2 nine-inch pie crusts)
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until coarse meal forms. Add 8 tablespoons ice water and cider vinegar; blend until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together. Turn dough out onto work surface; divide dough in half. Form each half into ball and flatten into disk. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour. (Can be made ahead. Keep dough refrigerated up to 2 days, or enclose in resealable plastic bag and freeze up to 1 month, then thaw in refrigerator overnight. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
OUR FAVORITE PIE CRUST RECIPE-HOW TO MAKE A TENDER PIE CRUST
From the King Arthur Flour recipe: "We figure we can't repeat too often our formula for the flakiest, most tender pie crust - so here it is. The instructions are thorough, and the method can apply to your own favorite crust recipe. The method you use to put pie pastry together will, to some degree, determine the type of crust you end up with. Our latest favorite pie crust recipe uses a combination of butter (for flavor) and lard or vegetable shortening (for flakiness); an unbleached flour of about 10.5% protein (such as our Mellow Pastry Blend); buttermilk powder (for tenderness) and baking powder (for extra flakiness); salt; and vinegar (again, for tenderness) and water. Here's the formula for a single-crust pie; just follow the directions above."
Provided by Cucina Casalingo
Categories Dessert
Time 45m
Yield 1 single pie crust
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- For a flaky, tender crust (as opposed to one that's harder, mealy, and more cookie-like), the following works well.
- Whisk together all of the dry ingredients, reserving a few tablespoons of the flour.
- Cut in half of the fat, working the mixture until it's mealy and crumbly.
- Place the reserved flour on your work surface, and coat the remaining fat with the flour.
- Use a rolling pin or the heel of your hand to flatten the fat till it's about 1/2-inch thick.
- Break this flour-coated fat into 1-inch pieces, and mix it into the dough, just till it's evenly distributed; some of the pieces of flour-coated fat should break into smaller pieces.
- Sprinkle the liquid(s) over the dough while tossing with a fork.
- Just as soon as the dough becomes cohesive (i.e., you can squeeze it into a ball easily), stop mixing; there should still be visible pieces of fat in the dough.
- Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap or waxed paper.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the water, making the dough easier to roll out.
- Flour your work surface and roll the dough into a 12 x 9-inch (approximately) rectangle.
- (If it isn't holding together well, sprinkle it lightly with a couple of teaspoons of water.
- Fold the dough into thirds (like a letter), then fold it into thirds the opposite way, to form a rough square. Wrap it well and refrigerate again.).
- When you're "ready to roll," remove the dough from the fridge.
- If the dough is made with all lard and/or vegetable shortening, you'll be able to work with it directly from the refrigerator.
- A dough made with all butter will need to warm slightly (10 to 15 minutes) before rolling, as butter becomes brittle when it's refrigerated.
- Dough made with a combination of butter and shortening should rest for about 5 minutes at room temperature before rolling.
- Roll the dough to the size needed (about 13 inches for a 9-inch pie).
- Fill and bake as directed in your recipe.
- Note: in this particular recipe, cut all of the lard or vegetable shortening into the flour, then coat the butter with flour before adding it to the dough.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1553.3, Fat 99.1, SaturatedFat 49.5, Cholesterol 170.7, Sodium 1003.9, Carbohydrate 143.4, Fiber 5.1, Sugar 0.6, Protein 19.9
PIE CRUST - TENDER & FLAKY
This is another delicious Pie Crust I use. Very tender and flaky. Used this recipe for my Apple pies for Easter...everyone loves it. I originally found this recipe on the back of a box of Paula Dean flour..if not using my Aunts recipe this is the one I like. I never have had a problem with it, and I do it all in my food...
Provided by Cassie *
Categories Pies
Time 15m
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- 1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar.
- 2. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn't get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball.
- 3. When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. On a floured surface roll each disk out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make a 9-inch pie.
- 4. Note: Food processor method - which is what I use : I place the flour, salt, and sugar in processor bowl. Pulse to blend. I then add the shortening, pulse about 6 times. Add the cold butter, pulse 10 - 12 times, then add the water, pulse till all starts to come together and will hold together ...I never have to chill it. The above directions are what were on the back of the box of flour..My way is so much easier, if you have a food processor, I would suggest that method.
Tips:
- Choose the right flour. For a flaky crust, use a pastry flour or a blend of all-purpose and bread flour. Bread flour will give the crust a chewier texture.
- Keep the butter cold. Cold butter will help create pockets of steam in the crust, which will make it flaky. You can grate the butter or cut it into small pieces before adding it to the flour.
- Work the dough quickly. Overworking the dough will make it tough. Work it just enough to bring it together.
- Chill the dough before baking. This will help the crust to set and prevent it from shrinking.
- Don't overbake the crust. A pie crust should be golden brown, not brown or black.
Conclusion:
Making a tender pie crust is not difficult, but it does take a little practice. By following these tips, you can create a delicious, flaky pie crust that will make your pies and tarts even more enjoyable. So next time you're in the mood for a pie, don't be afraid to try your hand at making your own crust.
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