Homemade Pie Crust

Making pie can be a difficult task for many, but with practice it can be almost as easy as boiling water. Often, the pie’s quality is focused on the filling, but a good crust is what can make a good pie into a great pie. The first step to making a good quality crust is in the ingredients chosen. Make sure all of your products are fresh and you use the proper quantities. Then you will need to take into account the temperature and humidity levels in your home as you make the crust. Both of these can factor into the quality of the crust.

How to Make the World’s Best Homemade Pie Crust

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Crisco shortening
• ½ cup Fleischmann’s Margarine (1 stick) or Smart Balance 50/50
• 1 1/2 cups Gold Medal All Purpose flour
• ½ cup Gold Medal All Purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons water

Step 1: Begin making the crust by placing the Crisco and Margarine in a large mixing bowl.

Crisco and Butter

Step 2: Cream the mixture using an electric mixer, pastry blender or fork until light and fluffy.

Shortening Mixture

Step 3: Scrape the mixture off the sides of the bowl towards the bottom-center.

Step 4: In a separate mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (reserving ½ cup flour to use while rolling out the dough) and mix together gently. Then add mixture all at once to the creamed shortening mixture.

Flour Mixture with Shortening

Step 5: Using a fork or hand held pastry blender, combine the dry ingredients with the moist shortening.

Blended

Step 6: Once clumps form and the shortening is blended with the dry ingredients, add the water and continue mixing.

Note: At this point the dough will be slightly moist and sticky. Ensure all shortening is blended in thoroughly, but do not over work as this will make your curst hard.

Water Added

Step 7: Separate your dough into two equal parts (top and a bottom for most pies or two bottoms).

Divide Dough

Step 8: Ensure your counter top is clean and flour lightly using half of the ½ cup of remaining flour.

Step 9: Round out dough ball with hands and slightly flatten. Place on floured counter top.

Flour Surface and Place Dough

Step 10: Using hands flatten out and keep the ball in a circle.

Flattened Dough Ball

Step 11: Continue to use your hands to flatten out the dough keeping the sides of the dough together (no splitting) and in a circle.

Flatten and Shape

Step 12: Lightly dust the top of the dough and make sure there is enough flour on the countertop to prevent sticking.

Step 13: Using a rolling pin lightly dusted with flour, gently roll out the dough. Push out from the center gently with slight pressure. Roll up from the center then down from the center. Then left from the center, then right from the center. Continue this pattern, keeping the dough in a rough circle until thin enough to use (approximately 1/8 inch thickness).

Rolled Dough

Step 14: Have a clean pie plate ready, then gently lift one side of the dough and drape it over your hand.

Step 15: Place pie plate where dough was on the counter then gently lay the dough over the pie plate.

Empty Pie Plate

Step 16: Push dough into pie plate with out smashing it against the plate. Make sure there aren’t any air pockets between the crust and the plate.

 

Dough Draped Over Pie Plate

Step 17: Using a fairly sharp knife, trim the edges of the crust leaving about ½ inch hanging from the edge of the plate.

Step 18: Fold the crust under, then form decorative edging by “pinching” the crust using your thumb and index finger of one hand and the index finger of your other hand.

Step 19: At this point you pie crust is prepared. Set aside in a cool place (room temperature) until the filling is ready.

Finished Pie Crust

Step 20: Fill pie crust following your favorite recipe and bake according to recipe directions.

Tip 1: Depending on the humidity and temperature levels in your work area, you may need to incorporate more flour into the dough prior to rolling out the dough. If the dough is too soft and sticks to the counter top, roll the dough back into a ball, re-flour the countertop and then roll out following the directions above.

Tip 2: If you find that you have added too much flour while in the mixing stage, add a tablespoon or two of water.