Double Pie Crust Recipe

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This is your basic unsweetened all-butter pie crust recipe or Pâte Brisée dough that's rich, buttery, flaky, and tender. Today, we make a double pie crust from scratch for an apple pie.

A good pie crust recipe is a must-have for any baker. One that you can use without trial and error. While there are many versions pie dough, each claiming to be the best, the basic ingredients are almost always the same. Some will use a combination of butter and lard for fat and others will use vodka in place of water. And yet, while they are all very promising, I think this is the absolute winner every single time.

About this pie crust

This is my all-butter pie dough recipe that gets used almost all the time. It's the same recipe we use to make a single crust.

The secret to a good pie dough is not just in the ingredients, but mostly in the process. You can make it by hand or in the food processor. In both methods, what you are looking for is to avoid gluten and ensure you cut the butter into the dough. So, no kneading, which will prevent the formation of gluten. That makes the pie flakier.

First, make sure the butter is chilled, so you get a nice flaky crust. If your butter melts, you will lose that flakiness. The pieces of fat in the dough melt in the oven during baking. This fat creates steam. This steam then creates the separation in the dough, which results in that flakiness.

For a single crust, we use only half of this recipe and make just the bottom crust. But, some pies also need a top crust, such as fruit pie - apple pie, cherry pie, and blueberry pie.

Below, you will find my tips and tricks as well as frequently asked questions and troubleshooting that will help you master this pie crust every single time.

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Ingredients and substitutes

• Butter - I like using all butter for that superior butter flavor. But, you can also use half vegetable shortening. My mom used half high-fat vegetable shortening. Make sure to chill the shortening for at least an hour before you use it.
• Flour - Use a good unbleached all-purpose flour. Do not use self-rising or bread flour. We want a flaky pie crust that does not rise or become chewy.
• Salt - Don't forget to add salt to your pie crust. It brings out the flavor. My mom would also add a teaspoon of sugar to her pie crust. We loved her pies and quiches.
• Water - You want chilled water from the fridge. You can add ice to your water to chill it. Do not add ice directly to the dough. It will eventually make the dough soggy. Also, do not use milk since the milk solids will burn and give a very dark crust.

Step by step instructions (pin)

• Cut butter into cubes and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
• Measure the chilled water (I like to use ice in my water).
• Add flour and salt in the food processor.
• Followed by the frozen butter cubes.
• Pulse for 30 seconds or more until fine bread crumb consistency.
• Add the chilled water through the feeding tube while the processor is on.

• The mixture will still be crumbly, but when squished with your hands, you should be able to form a ball.
• Remove onto a clean work surface.
• Bring it all together but do not knead. It will be a rough dough and that’s a good thing.
• Divide into two (more for the top and less for the bottom).
• Wrap in cling or plastic wrap.
• Place in the fridge to chill for an hour at least.

Roll top crust

• Dust the work board with flour.
• Open the big disc for the bottom and roll carefully so it does not crack too much.
• Use your pie pan as a guide to know how big you need it.
• To transfer the dough to the pan without breaking, fold the pastry in half, then into quarter. Place it on the pie pan and open the folds (see video).
• Alternatively, place the pastry over the rolling pin to transfer (see video).
• Gently fit it to the pie pan especially in the bottom edges.
• Place the lined pie pan in the fridge if your filling is not ready.
• Fill the pie with filling (such as apple pie filling).

Roll the bottom crust

• Roll the bottom discs – it should be the size of the pie pan plus some overhang.
• Place the second disc on top (same a before fold half then quarter and unfold over the pie).
• Cut off excess at the edges leaving an inch of overhang.
• Fold the top pastry under the bottom pastry (see video).
• Then, crimp the edge by forming a V shape with your thumb and index finger (see video).
• Brush with egg wash.
• Now, cut a few slits on the top crust.
• Bake until done. Cover edges loosely with foil or pie shield to prevent it becoming too dark.

Baking the pie

• Bake the pie as directed in your recipe. As a guide here is how I bake my pies with a double crust.
• Bake at 200 C / 400 F for 15 minutes then reduce temperature to 170 C / 340 F and cook another 35 to 40 minutes.
• After 20 to 25 minutes, cover edges loosely with foil or pie shield to prevent the top crust from becoming too dark.

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Frequently asked questions

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What's the secret to getting a perfect crimp on your pie crust?

1. Use the edge of your pan to help support the crimp. Cut the excess pastry such that when you fold it sits on top of that edge.
2. So, once you crimp it, stays on that edge all through baking.
3. As a result, when baked you get a perfect crimp.

Is butter or shortening better for the crust? 

The shortening is 100% fat while butter is 80% fat. So yes, shortening gives you the flakiest crust. On the other hand, butter has so much more flavor. Therefore, butter is usually my choice of fat when it comes to pastry. You can use all butter, shortening, lard, or try 50% butter and 50% shortening. See which you prefer.

It's all about the butter in Pâte Brisée

Classic Pie crust is all about the fat, mostly butter (you can use high ratio shortening too). The butter is literally cut into or broken into the flour with a pastry cutter, fork, finger-tip or food processor. Consequently, leaving pieces of butter in the dough. Often as large as pea-size pieces of butter. This process of cutting in the butter coats every grain of flour which slows the process of gluten and keeps the dough tender and flaky. 

So, when rolled out you can have small to large pieces of visible butter in the dough. This is not a sign of imperfection but rather a sign of good pastry dough. Those pieces of butter melt in the hot oven, resulting in a flaky, crispy pie crust. 

So you see, butter (or shortening/lard) is an important component in the dough. Hence, you need to use good quality butter. In fact, use a good quality European butter. Because the water content is less in European butter. And as a result, you get a superior quality of the pie crust. 

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What is blind bake and how to blind bake a crust? 

Blind baking a pie crust simply means to prebake the crust without any filling inside it. This is a great technique when the filling usually needs much less time to bake. For example, delicate chocolate or custard-based pies. And baking the pie crust partially ahead of time makes for a tender more flakier pie crust.  

Do I have to use pie weights or baking beans? 

When blind baking a pie crust we use baking beans or pie weights. The weights work as a mock filling, which can be removed once the pie crust is partially baked. The filling is then added and the pie goes back into the oven for further cooking. 

If you do not use any pie weight - the sides of the pie crust can collapse into the center and the bottom of the pie crust may puff up. If the sides fall in you won't be able to keep the filling in the middle. Nor will it look good when you slice the pie. Also, it means you have less space for pie filling.

Do I need a food processor to make a pie dough?

No, you don't. All you need is a bowl and your finger-tips. Having said that, my favorite equipment when making any pastry is the food processor. I like to cut the butter into the flour until it reaches fine bread crumb consistency. And I find the food processor gives an even distribution of butter in the flour making a very stable dough that's easy to roll without very large chunks of butter. Also, it takes less than 30 seconds to pulse the whole thing. This helps in keeping everything cold and working quickly.

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