I first made my very own home made pie crust from scratch after I was simply 9 years previous and have been doing it ever since. I nonetheless keep in mind the day as a result of my Mother and I spent most of it roasting sugar pumpkins to make an uber creamy and candy pumpkin pie filling.
To this present day, I nonetheless make all my pies and pie crusts from scratch. Not solely is it nostalgic, but in addition therapeutic and 10x higher than any store-bought pie crust. The love and care that goes into baking home made pies is one in all a sort.
As we speak, I’m going to share all of my suggestions and methods for making the perfect flaky pie crust recipe that’s made with all butter and nil shortening. It’s actually foolproof and no fail, and I’m SO excited so that you can strive it.
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Butter vs. shortening in pie crust
The talk of butter vs shortening in pie crust has been happening for many years, however personally, I imagine an all-butter pie crust to be higher for just a few causes.
- Higher taste: butter positively has higher taste and texture than shortening. So whereas shortening does have a better melting level, butter will provide you with a extra scrumptious crust with scrumptious flaky pockets.
- Deliciously flakier: butter will produce a barely flakier crust. Since butter has a better water content material when in comparison with shortening, it’s going to supply a barely flakier crust. You’ll additionally discover that an all butter pie crust could have a puffier crust as a result of layers of butter basically steaming inside the flour.
Components in the perfect home made all butter pie crust
This straightforward pie crust recipe requires just a few easy components that you just doubtless have already got in your pantry, which is one more reason why it’s so nice.
- All objective flour
- Salt
- Sugar
- Chilly unsalted butter
- Vodka (optionally available however beneficial!)
- Ice water
Tools wanted to make pie crust
You’ll want these three items of kit to make sure excellent pie crust success:
- Meals processor: I desire to make use of a meals processor for ease, however you too can use a pastry cutter.
- Rolling pin: a rolling pin is crucial to rolling out pie dough. At all times be certain that your rolling pin is properly floured earlier than rolling.
- Pie pan: a traditional glass pie pan is ideal for baking your pies.
Ideas for making the proper butter pie crust
There are just a few important suggestions and methods to making sure that your pie crust comes out excellent each time:
- Ensure that your butter is VERY chilly. Chilled butter is finest when making pie crust, particularly because you’ll be working with heat fingers. My suggestion is to cube up the butter, place on a plate and set within the freezer for at the least 15-Half-hour. This can even provide the alternative to get your entire components out and able to go.
- Use vodka. I like to recommend utilizing vodka in your pie crust to realize an ideal, flaky crust. If that’s not potential for you, then you possibly can exchange vodka with 1 tablespoon buttermilk, milk or cider vinegar, I wouldn’t use greater than a tablespoon although (the remainder of the liquid ought to be water.) That is additionally assuming you might be solely making a single pie crust as an alternative of a double.
- Permit your pie dough to relaxation within the fridge for at the least Half-hour-1 hour. Resting your pie dough within the fridge will permit gluten to chill out, the butter to harden and agency up inside the pockets of flour and provide you with a flaky, excellent crust.
- Thaw out your pie dough for a couple of minutes earlier than rolling. Earlier than you roll out your dough, permit it to sit down out at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order that it’s simpler to roll. In case you have bother rolling it out, then merely wait one other 5 minutes.
- Strive to not overwork the dough. Don’t spend a ton of time processing the dough within the meals processor; you actually solely have to pulse it 10 occasions to get the butter to come back collectively into the dough earlier than including your liquid.
- Chill your crust within the pie pan earlier than including your pie filling. After rolling out your dough and putting it in your pie pan, cowl the pie crust and place it again within the fridge to get the dough again to being very chilly by chilling the fats within the crust. Once more, that is finest for attaining a flaky pie crust and serving to to maintain the form of your crust upon baking. Alternatively, you possibly can at all times roll it out instantly, put it in your pie pan after which refrigerate the crust within the pan till you might be prepared to make use of.
- Ensure that your floor and rolling pin are well-floured: that is to forestall the dough from sticking to the floor or to the rolling pin.
Why use vodka in home made pie crust?
I first keep in mind listening to about utilizing vodka in pie crust from Cook dinner’s Illustrated, and it’s reworked my pie crusts into flaky little goddesses. Basically, the speculation is that vodka provides moisture to the dough and in addition prevents gluten within the pie crust from over-developing, leaving you a flakier pie crust and a pie dough that’s simpler to work with.
Don’t attempt to substitute one other alcohol for the vodka as you’ll not find yourself with the identical outcomes. If you wish to strive a substitute, you possibly can strive subbing in a tablespoon of cider vinegar, or a tablespoon of buttermilk or milk instead of the vodka.
Time to form your pie crust
As soon as you might be able to go, it might probably really feel intimidating to truly place it and form it onto your pie pan. Don’t fear! It’s simpler than you suppose with just a few easy directions and suggestions:
- Roll out the dough: the dough ought to be about 1 inch bigger than the pie pan diameter. Don’t fear an excessive amount of about cracks, you possibly can patch them up as you go or simply begin over. The pie dough ought to be about 1/eighth inch thick when rolled out.
- Fold the dough. Take your rolled out dough and gently fold it in half so to decide it up and switch it to your pie pan.
- Place the dough. Rigorously unfold and ease the dough into the pan. Don’t fear if the dough cracks or messes up, simply reshape the dough right into a disk and roll out once more!
- Trim the surplus. As you place the dough into your pan, trim the additional crust across the edges of the pie plate and discard extra dough.
- Flute the sides. Lastly, flute the sides of the crust nevertheless you’d like. I usually use my finger and thumb to pinch the dough or you should use a fork! See above for a photograph instance, and take a look at the video to see it in motion.
Do I have to do a blind bake?
A blind bake, AKA a pre-bake or a par-bake, implies that you partially bake your pie crust earlier than including the filling and baking all of it collectively once more. I personally don’t blind bake this pie crust earlier than making any of my pies as a result of the pies at all times end up excellent as-is!
Whether or not or not you must do a blind bake earlier than baking your whole pie actually will depend on the pie recipe and the filling, so simply you should definitely take note of the recipe you’re following to see if a blind bake is beneficial. For instance, no bake pies typically require blind baking the crust as a result of the filling (in fact) is not going to be baked after including it to the crust.
Prime savory pies with this home made crust
Not solely can you employ this straightforward pie crust recipe to make a scrumptious crust on your favourite candy pie recipes, however you too can use it to prime savory pies like my well-known hen pot pie and scrumptious broccoli cheddar hen pot pie!
As an alternative of putting the pie crust in your pie pan and shaping it as described above, you’ll merely:
- Cook dinner the savory pie filling
- Add the filling to your pan
- Rigorously layer the crust on prime of the filling, press the sides to seal it
- Poke just a few holes or slits to let the filling steam whereas it bakes!
- Brush the crust with an egg wash so earlier than baking in order that it will get good and golden
See how you can make an all butter pie crust
Are you able to freeze pie dough?
Sure! I really like freezing pie crust earlier than baking as a result of then anytime I need to make a pie all I’ve to do is thaw it out and roll. Making and freezing pie dough forward of time can also be an effective way to save lots of time in the course of the hectic vacation season.
There are two choices for freezing pie dough.
- Freeze, then roll out later. That is my favourite choice. First make the recipe as instructed, then wrap in plastic wrap then wrap in foil and place in a reusable or freezer protected bag and freeze for as much as 3 months. As soon as able to make your pie, you possibly can thaw the frozen pie dough within the fridge for just a few hours, then roll it out and place in your pie pan.
- Freeze within the pie pan. To avoid wasting extra time, you possibly can freeze your pie crust earlier than baking proper in your pie pan. Merely roll out the dough, then freeze within the pie pan you propose on baking in. You’ll simply want to verify it’s well-wrapped with plastic freezer wrap, foil after which locations in a freezer bag. As soon as able to bake you possibly can add your filling on to the frozen crust and bake your pie as your usually would. You simply might have so as to add 5-10 minutes extra baking time.
Do that pie crust with these superb recipes
Don’t neglect to get all of our superb Thanksgiving recipes right here!
Should you make this pie crust recipe you should definitely go away a remark and a ranking so I understand how you appreciated it! Do you will have any suggestions or methods for making the perfect pie crust? I’d love to listen to from you — go away a remark beneath!
Learn how to Make the Excellent All Butter Pie Crust
Learn to make an all butter pie crust that is flaky, straightforward and completely scrumptious! Watch a easy video tutorial to see how you can make and form the proper pie crust. Utilizing the following tips and methods, you will be baking scrumptious home made pies very quickly.
Components
- For the crust:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon vodka (or sub buttermilk)
- 2-3 tablespoons ice chilly water, plus extra if needed
Directions
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Earlier than you make the crust, lower the butter for the crust into small cubes and set on a plate. Place within the freezer for 15-Half-hour so it will get VERY COLD. When you do that, you may get your entire different components out and able to go.
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To make the crust: Add the flour, sugar and salt to a meals processor and pulse just a few occasions to mix. Add the VERY COLD butter cubes and pulse once more for 20-30 seconds till pie dough begins to resemble tiny peas.
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Subsequent, add 1 tablespoon of vodka, then add in 2-3 tablespoons ICE COLD water to the dough. Pulse till dough comes collectively only a bit, resembling small beads. The dough ought to nonetheless be considerably crumbly; I like to recommend squeezing a small quantity of dough between your fingers; it ought to stick collectively properly, but when it doesn’t and could be very crumbly, add extra ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, till it simply comes collectively. In case your dough is simply too moist, add 1/2 tablespoon flour till it comes collectively. I normally don’t mess with ratios an excessive amount of as a result of that is what works for me. Don’t overwork the dough.
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Place dough onto a well-floured floor and kind right into a disk form, then wrap with plastic wrap or in a reusable bag. Chill within the fridge for at the least Half-hour-1 hour or as much as 2 days. Dough can be frozen for as much as 2-3 months if properly wrapped in each plastic after which foil.
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As soon as dough has been chilled for at the least Half-hour, place dough on a VERY well-floured clear floor and use a properly floured-rolling pin to roll the dough right into a spherical form about 1 inch bigger than an upside-down 9-inch pie plate. Fold dough in half to assist switch to put in pie plate. Unfold and ease the dough into the pan. (Should you mess up, that’s utterly okay — simply reshape the dough right into a disk and roll out once more.) Trim the additional crust across the edges of the pie plate and discard extra dough. Flute the sides of the crust nevertheless you’d like (I usually use my finger and thumb to pinch the dough or you should use a fork!). Cowl the pie crust tightly with plastic wrap and place pie pan within the fridge when you put together your pie filling. Makes 1 pie crust. Be happy to double the recipe to make a double pie crust.
Recipe Notes
Learn how to freeze pie crust:
Freeze, then roll out later. That is my favourite choice. First make the recipe as instructed, then wrap in plastic wrap then wrap in foil and place in a reusable or freezer protected bag and freeze for as much as 3 months. As soon as able to make your pie, you possibly can thaw the frozen pie dough within the fridge for just a few hours, then roll it out and place in your pie pan.
Freeze within the pie pan. To avoid wasting extra time, you possibly can freeze your pie crust earlier than baking proper in your pie pan. Merely roll out the dough, then freeze within the pie pan you propose on baking in. You’ll simply want to verify it’s well-wrapped with plastic freezer wrap, foil after which locations in a freezer bag. As soon as able to bake you possibly can add your filling on to the frozen crust and bake your pie as your usually would. You simply might have so as to add 5-10 minutes extra baking time.
Vitamin
Serving: 1slice (primarily based on 9)Energy: 139calCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1.4gFats: 10.2gSaturated Fats: 6.4gFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.2g
This put up was initially revealed on November 11, 2019, republished on October 31, 2021, and republished on October twenty first, 2023.
