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How to Make a Pie Crust from Scratch

Purpose and Kinds of Flour Used

Many elements go into a pie crust and an understanding of how they work will help allay any misgivings you have. First of all, let’s talk about flour. The type of flour used will determine, almost completely, the outcome of the crust due to the protein count of the gluten.  In making pastry dough, the fat is cut into the flour so that the two proteins in flour, which make up the gluten, cannot come together to link up and form a chain or strand. On the other hand, bread dough is worked vigorously by kneading in order to link the two proteins to form a chain. Whereas the elasticity gained by working the dough is desirable in bread, it is not in pastry, which is why pastry dough is handled and worked as little and as quickly as possible with a lower protein flour.

Bread flour has the highest percentage of gluten followed, in descending order, by all- purpose flour, pastry flour and cake flour which has the very least. It would seem reasonable that if the lowest amount of protein is desired then cake flour would be the choice.  Using all cake flour does make a very tender crust, however it is rather mealy and without good texture.

Because pastry flour is not commonly available to the consumer, many recipes combine two thirds all-purpose flour with ⅓ cake flour. While this yields a better crust, reversing it and using a larger amount of cake flour with just a little all-purpose yields the requisite tenderness and flakiness without sacrificing the crispness, texture or strength.  In addition, it can stand a little more handling than crusts made with other flours – a boon to beginners.

Which Fats Work Best

The most important item is the fat used. The colder and harder the fat, the flakier the crust. At every point while and after adding the fat, the pastry should be worked quickly and kept cold. Lard, a very hard fat, is advocated by die hard pie crust makers as providing the flakiest crusts. This is true, but its very definite flavor along with its very high cholesterol and the difficulty of finding it in the supermarkets make this the least used choice.

The second flakiest crust will be obtained with vegetable shortening, as it is 100 percent fat, although not as hard as lard but it doesn't have any flavor. Butter, with a fat content of 75 to 80 percent, will not produce as flaky a crust, but the taste is superior. To maximize flavor and retain flakiness a combination of butter and shortening is used in this recipe. Both are used frozen. Under no circumstances use butter substitutes such as I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter, etc. They have a lot of water in them that alters the proportions of fat and water.

Liquids

Liquids make the dough cohesive. Water, although the main liquid usually used in pie crusts, is not the only one to be considered. Egg and lemon juice play an important part also. Ice cold water is used to slow down the formation of the gluten strands.  Several ice cubes placed in a cup of water 5 to 10 minutes before using are sufficient to chill it. Egg in the crust adds firmness, crispness and color and is particularly good when making pies with juicy fillings. When less than a whole egg is called for, beat a whole egg with a fork until the yolk and white are completely mixed, then measure the amount called for. Lemon juice, because of its acid content, acts as a tenderizer on the gluten. Vinegar can be substituted. I have seen crusts that use vodka but I haven't seen that it substantially improves the crust.

Measuring

Measuring the flours is very important to the finished pastry which is why I suggest using a scale. It makes all the difference in the world for consistent outcomes when baking.  As a professional baker, I weigh everything and recommend home bakers do also. If you don't, stir the flour in the bag or canister lightly, dip the cup in and fill to overflowing. With the back of a knife or anything flat, sweep the excess flour off.  Be sure to use a dry measure – one that has no lip on the top.

Mixing

At this point you are ready to mix. There are several ways to mix the dough.  But the best way is to use the food processor.  The only caveat is you mustn’t over mix – use pulses as they are easy to control. Frozen butter and shortening are cut into the flours with pulses. You want the pieces to remain the size of peas so when the pastry is rolled out the fat gets trapped between the layers of flour. When it bakes, the fat melts and the steam causes the pastry to puff and become flaky. After the fat is cut in, the liquids are combined and pulsed in until large crumbs are formed.

The food processor allows you much more control than does a mixer. By using pulses you can more easily control it keeping the butter and shortening in large pea size pieces. It's also easier to keep the gluten in the flour under control and shows you how to make a pie crust from scratch.

Rolling the Pastry Out

To roll the pastry, use as little flour as possible. You may think a photo of "lightly floured surface" is ridiculous but I have had students that use so much flour you can't see the surface of the table. Extra flour rolled into the dough at this point will only serve to toughen it.

To keep a round shape when rolling, roll from the middle out to the edges. If, no matter what you do, the shell does not form a good circle you can help it along.  Cut away the bulging part of the pastry, moisten the edge of the pastry that needs help with water and patch it with the cut piece overlapping to make a seam.  Sprinkle lightly with flour and roll lightly.  The seams will not adhere to each other without the water.

Roll the pastry into a circle about 12 ½ to 13 inches round for a 9" pie pan. To make sure the pastry fits into the corner of the pan and is not being stretched, ease about one eighth of the pastry at the side of the pan gently toward the middle. Now bring the pastry back to the rim and slide it down the side of the pan so you can see it fits the angle at the bottom.  Continue around the pan in this manner. Trim the overhang a uniform 1 ½". Turn it under and flute the edges if making a single crust. Both a single and double crust are shown below.

The crust can be baked at this point or it can be frozen for several months. It can also be rolled out flat, frozen, stacked with parchment paper between them and frozen for several months. Simply remove a crust, thaw in the refrigerator and use as directed.

Baking the Pie Crust

Baking an empty shell is called “blind” baking the shell. The biggest obstacle here is the tendency towards shrinking when baking. To forestall this, it is necessary to freeze the shell first then weight it. I am always amused by the pictures of a few aluminum weights on the bottom crust or something that looks like a string of beads. These will do nothing to help your cause.

Line the frozen pie crust with foil that has been sprayed with a releasing agent (do not use parchment paper – it doesn’t have enough strength when removing), lightly pressing it, sprayed side down on bottom of the crust and against the sides letting it stick up over the top. Fill the crust completely to the top with dried beans such as pinto or lima beans. It will take about two pounds of  beans for a nine inch crust.  Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake for 20 minutes with the beans. Remove the foil and the beans and bake for 15 to 18 minutes more for a full baked crust. It is important for the finished shell to have color so it remains crisp and flaky. Cool the beans completely and store in a covered container to use over and over. I have had mine for years.

To par bake (or partially) a shell reduce the time after removing the beans to about 10 to 12 minutes. The crust should be firm but not browned as for the fully baked crust. This crust is used when it will be filled and baked again. Be sure to cover the edges of the crust after it is filled and before it goes into the oven. Be sure to change the oven temperature to whatever your filling suggests.

Anytime a pie is going to bake for 30 to 40 minutes the crust should be par baked.

Cover the Edges Before Baking

If you are baking a pie longer than 30 to 40 minutes, the edges need to be covered or they will become overly brown. It is much safer to do this before baking instead of waiting until it is halfway or more done then trying to cover it while hot. After the top is put on the pie, simply tear off strips of foil about 3 inches wide and cover the edges. These are left on for about half the baking time and then removed so these edges can bake also.

Choice of Pie Pans or Plates

The color of the pans will alter the baking times.  I see mostly dark ware for consumers these days, very little aluminum. Dark metal or glass pie pans require a twenty five degree reduction in heat in order not to over brown or burn. My preference is aluminum or glass.

Amount of Filling for 9" Pie Pans

To figure out how much filling you need, a standard pie pan requires about 6 cups of fruit, plus sugar and thickeners. The deep dish pie pans require about 8 cups of fruit plus sugar and thickeners.

By following the steps you see here, you will be assured your pie crusts will be fast, flaky, fantastic and fail-proof because you learned how to make a pie crust from scratch.

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions.

Recipe FAQ'S

Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing

The crusts can be made ahead frozen at several different times for several months. When it is initially made into the 1" round, when it is rolled out or when it is in the pie plate. If more than one crust is frozen when rolled out, separate with parchment paper. If frozen in the pie plate it is safest to use a metal pan or make sure the glass pie plate will go from freezer to oven safely. In any case, freeze the crusts hard, then wrap well in foil or place in freezer proof bags. If frozen flat, thaw in the fridge for the best result.

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