Homemade Pie Crust Recipe – Pie Crust 101

Name: Homemade Flaky Pie Crust 101 - Recipe and Step by Step
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 1 double crust
Ingredients: 190 grams All purpose flour; 113 grams Chilled cubed Butter (or fat); 1/4 tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Sugar (optional); 2 tbsp Chilled water / ice water ( up to 4 tbsp); 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 350 grams All purpose flour; 228 grams Chilled cubed Butter ( or fat); 1/2 tsp Salt; 60 ml Chilled water / ice water ((up to 90 ml)); 2 tbsp Sugar (optional); 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

July 7, 2012 By Veena Azmanov 49 Comments

Best Homemade Pie Crust Recipe and Step by Step – Pie Crust 101

Is there anything better than Homemade Flaky Pie Crust? This simple, easy and effortless recipe with step by step progress pictures will teach you everything you need to know about making the best pie crust recipe at home. Tips and troubleshooting as well as how to get that perfect pie crust crimp. Once you use this perfect pie crust recipe you will never buy store-bought again.

Everything you need to know about making the best flaky homemade Pie Crust Recipe also called Pate en croute with a video tutorial and step by step progress pictures

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What is the Definition of a Good Pie Crust?

Well, to me – it has to be soft, flaky, something that’s about to fall apart when you touch it. The broken crumbs beg you to – eat me..!! Right? Now, a homemade pie crust is well..not just that it’s made with love, you know what goes inside. I use quality ingredients like real butter giving it a nice flaky texture and a soft crumb that almost melts in the mouth.

Have you ever had a tart where you have to push the fork so hard to crack the pastry? Have you ever eaten a pie filling and left the crust behind? Well, today we are going to make sure each and every crumb from your next Pie Crust gets appreciated.

Is there anything better than Homemade Flaky Pie Crust? This simple, easy and effortless recipe with step by step progress pictures will teach you everything you need to know about making the best pie crust recipe at home. Tips and trouble shooting as well as how to get that perfect pie crust crimp. Once you get use to this perfect pie crust recipe you will never buy store brought again.

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Low Fat Pie – I Just Had to Share This With You

When I was about nineteen I think; I was getting very health conscious and started counting calories. Obviously, I dug into books to find a pie that was low in fat. Guess what? The filling was all gone while most of the pie crust was left behind.

My mom said – if you are on a diet – don’t eat pie – zero calories! But if you are going to ruin a perfectly good recipe and expect everyone else to eat it, your on your own. I think she was very upset that after baking with her for years I had not learned how to make a good pie crust. So the next day I baked her my Mushroom Quiche with the perfect pie crust just so she could be proud of me. Ever since then, it has always been – a Homemade Flaky Pie Crust or no pie at all.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to go healthy and watch those calories. We all have to watch that scale, but I think it’s important to understand that not everything works the low-fat route. I don’t count calories. And yet, often I will go the crustless route – you know my crust-less swiss chard quiche and crustless kale artichokes ricotta quiche. These are great recipes that work well when you are not entertaining but can still indulge.

Did you know that a Pie Crust does not always have to include a savory filling? For example, my Classic Pecan Pie use this pie crust recipe but in a tart pan. You must try it. Because a pecan pie filling is on the sweet side this pie crust works perfectly well with it.

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The Secret to Making the Perfect Flaky Pie Crust & a Few Tips (Save/Pin)

The secret to making a perfect pie crust is not only in the recipe really but in the method of making it.

Fat – you will see a big difference in the quality of your crust based on the fat you use. If you ask my mom – it can’t be all butter. I had to be mostly full-fat GHEE (Shortening) and some butter for flavor. The more high ratio your fat the better the crust.
My grandmother would use 100% lard (animal fat). To her making a pie crust with butter is a No No! And yet, she lived healthily until 89.
I, on the other hand, never use lard for making my pie crust. I use butter or sometimes half butter and half veg shortening. I’d be lucky if I live to her age..!
The amount of water in your pie dough plays a very important part in the final texture. Too much water will make your crust very tough and too little will make it very crumbly. Crumbly is good but you still want to be able to hold a slice.
Avoid the fat/butter from melting into your flour. I usually place my bowl with the flour and chilled butter into the fridge for at least half an hour before I start to work it into the dough. Those of you living in a hot and humid climate can avoid touching the dough too much with your hands by rolling the pastry between two parchment papers
Use chilled iced water to maintain the temperature of the dough.
Cool the pie crust for at least half hour before you bake, this will avoid the sides from shrinking.
Let the pre-baked crust cool for 15 minutes before you add the filling in, this will avoid the liquid from being absorbed into the crust.

Looking for the Perfect Crimp?

Here’s something you may not know about crimping the pastry dough. I

If you want the crimp to be perfect? Use half butter and half shortening. In an all butter Pie Crust, the steam in the butter and flour tends to distort the pastry crimp.
Use the edge of your pan to help support the crimp. Cut the excess pasty just so that when you fold its sits on top of that edge. Once you crimp it stay there all thru baking. Once baked you have a perfect crimp.

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Today’ I’m going to share with you everything I know about making the Perfect Homemade Flaky Pie Crust

Let’s start with the recipes for both single and double pie crust. Tomorrow I’m going to share with you my Perfect Shortcrust Pastry Tart Recipe.

A good guide to use is a 3:2:1 part ratio which means 3 parts of flour to 2 pars of fat to 1 part of water. With that basic formula, you can make a couple of pies at the same time. It has helped me many times because I do sometimes bake 6 pies all at once.

Useful Tips and Tools

If you know me I’m not a slave to tools in the kitchen, but I believe that tools can make a huge difference to your end product and your own working experience. This pastry blenderis a great tool to have if you plan to make pies often.
And of course, you need a good rolling pin. I use my French rolling pinfor almost everything including fondant but often on videos, you will find me with my pink rolling pin.
A pie crust is baked in a pie pan often but there are times when we baked the sweet filling in a tart pan. If you are new to pie crust I highly recommend buying a pie pan with a rim like this Pie Pan. The extra edge will be great to achieve a perfect crimped edge. Having made a few pies over the years a no edge pie pan as I have below is ok for seasoned bakers.
If you live in a hot and humid place, avoid using the pie dough much. Instead, roll the dough between two parchment papers. This technique is also good for those who are new to pie crust and are not used to handling high-fat dough.
To bake the pie crust we dock the pastry with the tings of a fork but it is also necessary to use pie weights. Pie weighs help to prevent the pastry from puffing up. Pie weight can be dried beans that can be used over and over again. If you bake often then you can buy special pie weights as well. I still use my dried beans and often use nuts I want to toast when prebaking my pie crust.

Recipe – Homemade Flaky Pie Crust – Pie Crust 101 (Save/Pin)

Ingredients

Single Pie Crust ( Bottom crust)

All-purpose flour – 190 grams (1 1/2 cup )
Butter very cold – 113 grams (1/2 stick or 1/2 cup / 4 oz )
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Chilled water/ice water – 2 to 4 tbsp
Sugar – 1 tbsp (optional)
Vanilla – 1 tsp (optional)

Double Pie Crust (Top and Bottom Crust)

All-purpose flour – 350 grams (2 3/4 cups)
Fat /butter – 228 grams (2 sticks / 8 oz or 1 cup)
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Chilled water/ice water – 60 to 90 ml (1/4 to 1/2 cup)
Sugar – 2 tbsp (optional)
Vanilla – 1 tsp

Method

Plan and Prepare

Make sure butter is chilled – so it can be cut into cubes. When cold cut into small cubes.
Measure the ingredients – place flour, salt, sugar in the metal bowl and keep in the fridge for an hour or less.
Make sure you have cold water – if not drop a few cubes of ice in a bowl of water.

Make the Pastry

Use fork or pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour.
Continue until you will have a crumbly mixture.
Add the chilled water in three batches – only as much as you need to.
Gather all the crumbs into a ball.
Wrap in cling or plastic wrap and chill for at least an hours.

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Roll the Pastry

Dust the work board with flour.
Open the dough and roll carefully so it does not crack too much.
Use your pie pan as a guide to know how big you need it.
When you reach the desired size – to transfer the dough without cracking.
Fold the pastry in half then quarter.
Place it on the pie pan and open the folds.
Carefully make sure the dough is evenly spread in the pan.
Cut the excess from the edges leaving a 1/2 inch for crimping.
Fold the excess so you have a pretty round edge.
Crimp the edge by forming a V shape with the thumb and index finger.
Let cool in the fridge for 15 minutes.

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Prepare the Crust for Baking

Preheat the oven at 180 C / 360 F.
To bake the pie you can either score the pie with a fork all over the base and sides, or
You could use pie weights.
For pie weight – just scrunch a parchment paper completely – open it up and line the pie with it then add pie weights or baking beans.

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Bake the Single Pie Crust

At this point, you can fill the pie with filling and bake with the filling.
Sometimes we pre-bake the pie crust for 10 minutes before we add filling and bake further as directed by that pie recipe.
Sometimes we bake the pie crust for 20 to 25 minutes if we don’t need to cook the filling.

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Double Pie Crust

Roll both discs and line the bottom crust as shown above.
Cut off excess from the edges leaving a 1/2 inch for crimping.
Fill the pie with filling (such as apple pie filling).
Roll and place the second disc of dough the same way as the first.
Cut off excess at the edges. Fold excess edges under and crimp.

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Trouble Shooting / Q & A

Rolling the Pastry – If it’s too hard to roll means the dough is too chilled. Give it a few minutes on the counter or it will crack too much. You want your dough chilled but still easy enough to roll.
The Pastry Shrinks – It’s best to chill the pastry before you bake it. That makes sure the butter stays cold. When baked this butter melting into the dough causes a beautiful flaky crust. If it’s not cold the dough shrinks
Climate – Live in a hot and humid climate – avoid touching the dough too much with your warm hands. Flip the dough over the rolling pin when possible.

Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.

Best Homemade Pie Crust Recipe, Pie Crust 101, Pâté en Croûte, Flaky Pie Crust Recipe, Pie Crust from Scratch,

Homemade Flaky Pie Crust 101 - Recipe and Step by Step

5 from 26 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: basics, Flaky Pie, homemade, Pie, Pie Crust

Adjust Servings Here: 1 double crust

Calories: 527kcal

Author: Veena Azmanov

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins