Yes. That’s right. EASY all butter pie crust!
I offer up my sister as testament to how easy this process can be. I only showed her how to make it one time in her kitchen and she was off to the races!
One thing about my sister? She does not suffer complicated food prep. Ever. For any reason. And yet, my sister has mastered making pie dough! Willingly.
So, trust me. If she can do this, so can you. And today, I’m going to show you how.
I’ll warn you in advance that this is a long, long post. The length of the post does NOT mean it’s complicated. I’ve simply got lots of tips to insure your success. So, grab a drink and get comfy. We’re gonna spend some time chatting about pie crust.
I love pie, but over so many baking years, I rarely ever made them. I was too busy making cakes and cookies and other non-pie desserts to actually think about making pie.
And pie crust? I always thought, “Ugh! Do I want to bother making a pie crust? And what’s the perfect recipe and what’s the perfect process?”
I read about this one and that one. Some have vodka as the secret. Some have lard as the secret… and not just any lard, it’s something called, “Leaf lard.” Leaf lard??? I assumed it was plant based. Lol! How the heck do they do that?
Turns out, leaf lard does not come from leaves. It’s simply lard that comes from a different part of the pig. It was just too much to worry about while I was trying to develop my perfect scone or my favorite brownie.
But I have a friend, who is a serious pie maker. During peak pie seasons, she’ll text me pics about this pie or that pie. They always look amazing!
It seems as if there’s a whole lotta pie going on at her house that I know I’m missing out on because I don’t live next door :(
So, a couple of summers ago, I decided to roll up my sleeves and get on the pie wagon. And no, I haven’t been depriving you of this recipe or technique for two years. I’ve already shared it in my Blueberry Galette post. And I used it again in Caramel Apple Crostatas.
However, it’s buried in those posts. You might never find it if you were specifically looking for pie crust. I thought it deserved its very own place in the sun. A place where I could dive deeper into the process. (And, I made a video to go with it!)
Let’s begin with what’s in this crust: flour, butter, sugar, salt and water. That’s it! Five ingredients!
And we can have a lengthy discussion about whether it’s better to use shortening or butter in pie crust. I’m going to skip that and say I like the taste and the light texture that I get when using butter.
They say shortening will give you more flakiness, but I find that using an all butter crust gives me plenty.
Oh, and I’m not a total shortening hater, either. I use some non-hydrogenated shortening (along with butter) in the crust of one of my favorite slab pies, Apricot Cherry Slab Pie. Bonus with a crust that has some shortening? It might hold the shape of your fancy fluted edges better. I love it. Really. No complaints.
It’s just that I really love, love, love an all butter pie crust. (And it’s one less ingredient to think about.)
We start with whisking the dry ingredients together. Then, we need a stick of cold, unsalted butter. Cut it into small pieces, then toss it into the dry ingredients.
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Tools for Cutting Butter into Flour:
- My tool of choice is a pastry cutter. I like this one and this one. It’s an inexpensive tool that’s made for the job. I find it efficient, effective and it’s easy to clean. It really only takes a minute or two with the pastry cutter. And, if you like biscuits and scones as well as pie crust, you’ll get plenty of use out of it.
- You can use two knives. This is effective, but it will take you longer, so it’s not as efficient as the pastry cutter.
- You can use a food processor, but be careful. You should still be striving for various sizes of butter throughout the mixture. They should be visible. You don’t want to process it down to a sand. So, use the pulse button and use it sparingly. I would only use the processor to cut in the butter. Add the water by hand so as not to over process the mixture. For me, it’s not worth the extra dishes to wash unless I’m making lots of pie crusts. Then I’d use the processor to cut the butter into each batch of dough, then add the water by hand.
(If you choose to use a pastry cutter…As you’re blending, you’ll find that the butter will occasionally get stuck among the tines of the cutter. Just use a knife to clear it and keep on blending.)
You’ll blend until you have various sized pieces of butter, none larger than a pea. Now you’re ready for water. It should be ice water, which will help keep the butter cold.
Adding the Ice Water:
The amount of water may vary, possibly each time you make it. Sometimes I’ve only needed 5 Tablespoons. Other times, I’ve needed up to seven or eight. Too much is not good. Too little is not good. How will you know?
By the look and the feel. When you add the water, you’ll add it one Tablespoon at a time. Sprinkle it lightly over the flour mixture and fluff with a fork over and over to distribute the moisture.
Do not pour all of the water into a puddle. It will be much harder to distribute and will likely over saturate one area of your mixture.
Once the moisture has been distributed, sprinkle another spoonful over the top of the mixture. Fluff, fluff, fluff with a fork, then repeat as needed.
You should need at least 4 Tablespoons of water, so you don’t need to be too concerned until you’ve incorporated that 4th spoonful.
After that, look for the dough to start looking shaggy. I never really knew what shaggy meant until I experienced it. And for you, you get a photo.
Little bits of the mixture start clinging to each other in what sort of looks like scraggly little dumplings. If that’s not what your dough looks like, proceed with another spoonful of water. Remember, you can always add more water, but you can’t take it out.
If you think you are there, grab a handful of the mixture and squeeze it. When it holds together, you are ready. If it is still crumbly, add another spoonful of water. Fluff, fluff, fluff, then check again.
Once you’ve added enough water, gather your dough into a ball, turning it over and over to pick up drier areas along the way, pressing them into the ball.
Yes, that bowl full of shaggy flour mixture you see above is able to be brought together in the ball you see below.
Why Easy All Butter Pie Crust is so EASY:
- I roll BEFORE I refrigerate. There’s no super cold dough to beat into submission. Normally, in a traditional pie crust recipe, you’d wrap the dough up after you gathered it into a ball. Then you’d chill it before you rolled it out. That’s where it gets tricky. So let’s skip the tricky part and roll FIRST.
- I use PLASTIC WRAP to roll out the dough. That means no extra flour to dirty your counter and no flour to dirty your rolling pin. Yes! A clean rolling experience! No scraping flour up off your counter!
- With plastic wrap, you don’t have to worry about the dough sticking to the counter or using too much flour.
- The plastic wrap makes this recipe almost as easy to roll out as play dough.
- When you use plastic wrap, the dough is easier to pick up and turn. It’s also easier to move from counter to refrigerator.
- Can we talk about the plastic wrap again? Yes! It also makes it easier to place the dough into your pie pan. No folding or draping over your rolling pin. No crazy maneuvering while you worry that your dough will rip or tear.
You’ll need some good clingy plastic wrap, one that will stick really well to your rolling surface. Mine sticks great to my counter top but for this post, I’m using a silicone baking mat. The mat’s great because you get built in measurements. If I weren’t using a mat, I’d check the size of my circle with a ruler every so often.
Here’s how it’s done:
Place two large overlapping sheets of plastic wrap on your surface. Place the ball of dough into the center of the area and then cover with two more sheets of overlapping wrap. Press the ball into a round disk (assuming you’re planning to roll into a circle.)
Tips for rolling Easy All Butter Pie Crust:
- Use even pressure when rolling.
- Roll from the center out to the edges. I like to roll in a clockwise direction, from the middle up to the 12, from the middle down to the 6, from the middle out to the 3 and the 9, then continuing to roll to the different points around the clock. This will help you to roll into an even circle.
- You can just roll to the different points on the “clock”, or pick up the dough and rotate it to help you roll to the different points on the “clock.” (I usually just leave it where it is and just change the direction I’m rolling.)
- Lighten your pressure as you get to the edge. You should never roll right over the edge or you’ll squeeze it down to a super thin layer.
- Lift up the plastic wrap, separating the top layer from the bottom layer, as needed to keep your dough from getting trapped between the layers.
- Roll the dough to 12″ in diameter. That’s the perfect size for a single crusted pie using a 9″ x 1 1/2″ pie pan.
Once you’ve gotten the dough rolled out, (and you’re thanking me because both your counter and your rolling pin are still clean :) it’s time to wrap up the dough.
Conveniently, it’s sandwiched in between plastic :) so all you have to do is fold up the edges of the wrap.
Set the dough on a flat baking sheet and send it to the refrigerator to chill, allowing the flour to hydrate for at least an hour or two. I often leave it in there overnight and then fill and bake my pie the next day.
When it’s finished chilling, unwrap the dough and pull the top sheet of plastic off. Now you can center your pie dish over the circle of dough and flip it with the baking sheet as I do in the video. Or, because it’s pretty easy to handle, just place the unwrapped side of the dough into the pie pan and pull the top layer of plastic off.
Do not stretch the dough while placing it. Instead, lift it and gently press it into place. If you stretch the dough, it will simply shrink back while baking. So no stretching! Just lifting and placing.
Fluting the Edge:
There are many, many ways to make fancy edges but I’m just going to cover a classic fluted edge.
- First, fold or roll the excess dough around the edge under itself. This will create a thick edge that’s ready to flute.
- To flute, you can use your fingers, your knuckles or knuckles on one hand and fingers on the other. Basically, you’re just gently pressing the edge into a “v” shape. You’ll press the inside of the “v” with one finger, while forming the outside of the “v” with two fingers. I don’t like my nails to mark the dough, so I often use my knuckles to prevent that.
- I’m picturing three ways to make that “v”, but you can do whatever seems comfortable to you.
Once you’ve finished fluting, cover the dough with some plastic wrap and put the whole beautifully fluted pan back into the refrigerator, just to make sure it’s thoroughly chilled before you fill and bake it.
That’s it, kids. Easy All Butter Pie Crust. Each time you make it, it will get easier and easier. I promise.
Take the leap. Do not fear pie crust. Follow the directions. Watch the video. Make mistakes. You’ll learn from them. Your reward?
Pie, my friend. Pie. And that age old saying, “Easy as pie,”
will finally make sense :)
Easy All Butter Pie Crust
Easy All Butter Pie Crust. Delicious, easy to roll, flaky, buttery crust with no mess! Conquer your fear of crust with this tip filled recipe and video!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 stick, cold and cut into small pieces
- 5-8 Tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt.
- Add cold butter pieces and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter, two knives or a food processor.
- Fill a cup with iced water and using a measuring spoon, drizzle a tablespoon of water over the flour mixture. Toss with a fork to distribute the moisture. Repeat this process adding a tablespoon of water at a time and tossing the mixture until your mixture looks shaggy and there are no dry piles of flour at the bottom of the bowl. It shouldn't look wet. You should be able to grab a handful of the mixture and squeeze it in your hands and have it hold together. For me, this took about 5-6 Tablespoons of water, but it varies each time I make it. Start checking for texture after 4 Tablespoons.
- Bring mixture together into a ball.
- Tear off two sheets of plastic wrap and over lap them to create a large rolling area. Place the ball into the center of the plastic.
- Tear off two more sheets of plastic wrap and cover the ball of dough, overlapping the plastic so that you have another big area of wrap sandwiching dough. Lightly press on the ball to flatten it into a disk.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12" circle. Roll from the center out, easing up on the pressure as you near the edges so that you don't roll them too thin. Your rolling pin should not roll past the edge of the dough and back onto your counter. That would squeeze your dough into paper thinness. Think of the circle of dough like a clock and roll out to the 12, then pick your rolling pin up and go back to center to roll down to the 6. You can change your rolling position or just use the plastic wrap to pick up and rotate your dough to help you roll out to the different points on the "clock." Always roll from the center out and resist the temptation to roll your pin back and forth. You want it to be rolled out to a uniform thickness so that it bakes evenly.
- When you've finished rolling out the dough, fold both layers of plastic wrap up and over the circle of dough to wrap it up. Place on a flat baking sheet and refrigerate it for an hour or two or overnight.
- When your dough is ready, remove the top layer of plastic wrap. To place the dough into a pie pan, center the pan upside down on top of the dough. Using the baking sheet for stability, hold the bottom of the pie pan and flip the dough over. Remove top layer of plastic.
- Gently fit the dough into the pan without stretching it. Just lift and gently pat it into place.
- You will have excess dough on the edges. Roll or fold these under until they meet the edge of the pie pan.
- Using your fingers, flute the edge. See post or video for details.
- Once you've finished fluting the edge, your dough has probably warmed up from handling. Cold dough is best, so cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for another 30 minutes to an hour, or until thoroughly chilled, before using in your favorite pie recipe.
Notes
- Refer to the blog post and video for many tips for success.
- You'll need plastic wrap that clings to your rolling surface to keep the dough from moving around while you're rolling it.
- This recipe makes enough for a single crust pie baked in a 9" x 1 1/2" pan.
- You can double the recipe for a double crust pie. Just double the ingredients and follow the directions. Once you gather the dough into a ball, divide it into two pieces, one for the top crust and one for the bottom. Allow a little more dough for the bottom crust. I think a 40/60 top to bottom ratio works well.
- If you're using salted butter, reduce salt to 1/4 teaspoon. I use regular table salt in this recipe.
- All butter is not created equal. Some have more fat, some have more water. Different brands of butter may yield different results. My standard butter is Land O'Lakes. For organic butter, I like Trader Joe's.
- If you'd like to use the crust for a savory recipe, omit the sugar.
- Make ahead tip: Freeze the unbaked pie crust right in the pan. First, put it on a tray to freeze it, uncovered. Then, wrap it well in plastic wrap or foil. Place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
_The Merchant Baker Copyright © 2017_
I’m making a coconut cream pie and how long should I bake it for and what temp
Dylan, you should follow the recipe instructions for your coconut cream pie. This recipe gets you to the point of a prepared pie crust but there are many different ways to complete a fully baked pie and all will be dependent upon the type of pie you are making and each individual recipe. Your pie recipe should include directions for baking. Let me know if that helps!
I am using this for a chocolate custard pie that does not required any baking. What temp and how long should I bake it when it is empty? It needs to be fully baked before I put the custard in. After I add the custard it just goes right into the fridge.
Hi Ginger! A blind baked crust is basically pre-baking the empty crust before filling it. You can do a search on blind baking, but here are some basic steps…Once you fit the crust into the pan and flute your edges, put it back into the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes. You always want to insure you’re baking cold pie dough. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400F. Prick the bottom of the chilled crust all over with a fork. Then, place a piece of foil or parchment in the pie shell. I like to use foil and form it right to my crimped edges so that it looks like crimped foil. Fill with pie weights. You can also use dry beans or uncooked rice. Basically, you’re just keeping the crust weighted down while you bake it since you don’t have a filling in it yet to do that job. Bake for 20 minutes. Then, remove the pie from the oven. Prick the bottom of the crust again to discourage bubbles. Remove the foil or parchment and the weights. Return to the oven to bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the whole crust is a nice golden brown color. Allow to cool completely. Then, fill as directed in your recipe.
Everything well explained. But did I miss on how much to set my oven and cook time?
Hi Ingrid, you didn’t miss it. This recipe is only to make an unbaked pie crust. Oven temps and baking vary based on what kind you might be making. Read through some of the comments. You’ll see my responses for different types of recipes, but it really depends on your actual pie recipe. If you let me know what kind of pie you’re making and and idea of the recipe, I can help guide you.
Thank you so much for this recipe. The directions were perfect & using plastic wrap to roll it out, is simple, but genius! I bake 3 times a week & never make pies, not anymore, Thanks to you.
Harry, thank you for such a lovely comment! It makes my day to know that this process has opened the door for more pie in your baking schedule! 😊
Hi, I loved your recipe because it was so detailed and every time I thought “how do I know…” I read a little further and you answered my questions! It was perfect. Only down side is I started to attempt to roll out my dough into a circle like you suggested and it didn’t work out. I think I panicked and it turned into a triangle instead of a circle. Lol I tried to do the 12 o’clock, 6 o’clock suggestion and maybe I pressed too hard?? Just seems like then I tied to roll it to 3 and 9 it wouldn’t spread…. (First time ever making pie dough) So, I balled it back up and put it in the fridge. Will me having to roll it out twice, I’ll be baking it tomorrow, mess things up? I am praying I didn’t mess it up. This is m tun second attempt but first attempt with your recipe.
Hi Liz, even though this is an “easy” process, practice will make it easier each time. So, if you still see pieces of butter throughout the dough, you might still be okay. I would be worried if the butter has been fully worked into the dough because then you’ll lose flakiness. Also, depending upon how much rolling and balling up happened, you also may have overworked the dough and developed gluten, which may leave you with a tough crust. To be safe, I would start over and yes, I think you may have pressed too hard when rolling. Also, you have to keep checking that the plastic wrap hasn’t trapped your dough. Just keep lifting it up. It will take you multiple rolls to achieve the circle. My video is sped up so you aren’t able to see how many actual times I’m going around the “clock”. Each time you go around, it will get a little bit bigger. You’ll have a small circle and then each time you go around it may get bigger by an inch. So, I think your gut is correct on the press too hard part. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help.
Hi! Do you recommend prebaking this crust before you bake your pie?
Hi Ellen, the need for pre-baking will really depend on your pie recipe. What does it call for? You definitely need to fully prebake if you’re filling the pie crust with something that’s not going to be baked like a chocolate cream pie. Many people often partially prebake a crust for custard pies, like pumpkin, so that the bottom crust is more crisp. In my personal recipe for pumpkin pie or my cannoli pie, I don’t prebake the crust. I may try pre-baking it for my pumpkin pie in the future to see if I like it better, but I’ve been happy with how the crust turns out without prebaking. It’s a matter of preference. If you do prebake the crust, you need to blind bake it. I generally don’t pre-bake for fruit pies. Here’s a link that may help you further. I hope that helps!
I’ve made this a few times now for both savory (chicken pot pie) and sweet pies. The results have always been very good and consistent!
Yay! Jacquie, I’m so happy to hear how well it’s working out for you! Thanks for sharing your success :)
I have been making pies for many many years!
I have my tried abs true recipe for dough, but thought I would try this for a change….
I’m sorry, but one of the worst crusts I have ever eaten and by far the worst I have made!
I don’t know where I went wrong, but it was awful!
Dough was not over worked, all ingredients were chilled … etc
Abby, I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t work out for you. If you could give me more details, I’d be happy to try to troubleshoot it for you. The recipe itself is a pretty standard all butter pie crust recipe, so that shouldn’t be the issue. I’ve made the crust many times and it has turned out a delicious, flaky, buttery crust every time. I’ve also had others who are not skilled bakers do extremely well with the recipe. Since I don’t know the specifics of why yours did not come out well, I can only guess at what the problems might be. I can think of two things that might have happened. First, we may measure flour differently. I use the spoon and sweep method which results in a cup of flour weighing 4.25 ounces. If you measure a different way, you might have ended up with too much flour and thrown off the flour/fat ratio. The other problem could be that perhaps you added too much water. Adding too much water can lead to too much gluten formation, which will result in a leathery or tough crust. The video should help you see what the dough looks like with the appropriate amount of water. I know you have a tried and true recipe, but if you decide to take another shot at this one, hopefully my call outs will help you succeed.
Hi there – I am curious about an all-butter pie crust with a filling that needs to be kept refrigerated – such as a custard – doesn’t the butter in the crust need time at room temperature so that the crust isn’t hard from the fridge?
Hi Kae, I’m going to assume you’re asking about after the pie is baked. (Before the pie is baked, you want to insure that the dough is cold and the bits of butter in the crust are firm.) Let’s say the crust has been made and baked properly and you’ve ended up with a nice, flaky crust on your custard pie. Once the pie is baked, cooled and then stored in the refrigerator, you can let it come to room temp if that’s how you want to serve it. The crust shouldn’t really be particularly hard from being cold in the refrigerator. On the contrary, the moisture in the refrigerator is likely to make the crust softer than it was prior to refrigeration. I would serve the pie based on what temperature you want the custard to be when consumed. Some like a cold pie, others prefer room temperature. Hope that helps!
Hi Ramona, thank you for sharing this recipe. I would like to use it to make a Lemon Meringue Pie, my recipe for this calls for it to be baked at 320 for 35 minutes do you think this would be enough for the crust? or should I increase it? I dont want to over bake the meringue on top. Many thanks Theresa
Theresa, I don’t know what your recipe says, but generally, a lemon meringue pie calls for a blind baked crust. A blind baked crust is basically pre-baking the empty crust before filling it. You can do a search on blind baking, but here are some basic steps…Once you fit the crust into the pan and flute your edges, put it back into the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes. You always want to insure you’re baking cold pie dough. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400F. Prick the bottom of the chilled crust all over with a fork. Then, place a piece of foil or parchment in the pie shell and fill with pie weights. You can also use dry beans or uncooked rice. Basically, you’re just keeping the crust weighted down while you bake it since you don’t have a filling in it yet to do that job. Bake it for about 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden and bottom is just beginning to brown. This will set the crust. Then, remove it from the oven and lift the parchment or foil up and out, removing the weights. Set aside to cool and proceed with your recipe. Blind baking will give your crust a head start before you fill it and bake it again for the 35 minutes that your recipe calls for. Hope that helps!
I can’t find what degree to heat oven to or how long to bake.
Hi Teresa, this recipe only tells you how to make the pie crust, it’s true. That’s because degrees and time will depend upon what you do with it. For my Cannoli Pie I bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. For my Pumpkin Pie I bake at 400 for 50-60 minutes. For my Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies, I bake at 375 for 30 minutes. If you tell me how you’re using the pie crust, I’ll try to help you figure out time and temp.
Hi,
Is it a must to blind bake the dough? For how long and at what temperature?
Thanks for sharing.
Happy holidays!
Hi Laura, it’s only a must to blind bake if your pie recipe calls for it. So, for instance, if your recipe calls for a pre-baked pie crust which is typical of things like a chocolate cream pie or any pie whose filling is not baked. Other recipes, like custard recipes may call for a partially blind baked crust to kind of set it to help prevent sogginess from such wet fillings. Generally, fruit pies do not require a blind baked crust. There are many ways to blind bake a crust, should you need to do so. You can read through some of the other responses to readers I’ve given regarding blind baking, or do a search on blind baking to figure out the best method for you and your recipe. I hope to get a post up on blind baking to help answer these types of questions, but until then, I hope this gives you a start.
Hi there! I’m currently in the dough cooling process before I start baking my raspberry pie, I’m curious to about how long and what temp you might think to bake it at?!
I’m not sure exactly how you’re using the dough, but with my Blueberry Galette, I bake it at 350 for 50-55 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. If you’re making a pie in a pan like my Chocolate Chip Cannoli Pie, I still baked it at 350, but I watched the edges of my crust for browning. I covered the crimped edges of my crust with foil to prevent over browning while my pie finished baking. You can check out either of those posts for extra info. I hope this helps! Raspberry pie sounds delish!
Hi! Could you use this for a savory pie crust and just omit the sugar? Or do you think that would mess with the texture
Rachel, you can absolutely just omit the sugar from the recipe and use it for a savory pie crust. You can also choose to add other seasonings to it like black pepper, rosemary, thyme etc. to suit whatever recipe you’re making. Or, just leave it as is, without the sugar, and let your savory pie filling be complemented by a simple, buttery crust.
Love this can’t wait to try how long should it be baked with pecan pie
Kourtney, recipes can vary, so my best recommendation is to follow the instructions for your particular recipe.
How do I access your video?
Thanks,
Karen
Hi Karen, You should see the pie crust video right at the top of the post. It will be the first video that plays. After that video plays, other recipe videos will play. You can refresh the page and the pie crust video will begin again. I hope that helps!
Hi there!!! Can this pie crust be used to make hand pies??
Yes! I used it for these hand pies You can use it like any traditional pie dough. Check out the recipe index under “pies” and you’ll see a few different ways I’ve used it to make things like galettes and crostatas….
Hi 1st order of business lol. This recipe is so simple yet so delicious I couldn’t help but start eating the test crust (my wife and my son joined me) in this sacrificing momentum of eating it. 2nd I’m a gluten free (sensitive) but I took the chance to substitute your all purpose flour for gluten free flour. I went with a measure for measure flour from King Arthur’s (I have been trying all kinds of recipes and this one took the prize. I have a question … If I add yeast to the recipe do you think it’ll work? Thank you so much and have a great Valentine’s day. :-)
I’m happy to hear that it worked out so well for you! And, thanks for sharing your successful gluten free flour experiment with the rest of the readers. As far as the yeast, I’m really not sure. I’ve never tried it. You’d have to experiment. If you do find success, please come back to share :)
I use a pie crust bag by Mrs. Anderson’s. It’s available on Amazon so maybe you could add it to your links! My grandmother got me started on those over 30 yrs ago. All the mess is zipped up in the bag! I dust it with a bit of flour. As I’m rolling it out I can flip the bag over to check the back side and its easy to roll from different angles to fill in any cracks that form.
When it is the size I want, (unzip the bag and peel back the top) I place the pan inverted on the dough, then slip my hand under the bag and flip it all over. I then peel the bottom layer of the bag off.
Wash the bag out with hot soapy water and let it air dry. It is reuseable for many years to come. If it slides around too much, I wipe the counter with a damp cloth and the bag will stick around!
I’m so thankful for my innovative grandma!
Just like your recipe it sounds more complicated than it really is.
I will try your recipe today!
Thanks for all your detailed info, Amanda. As it turns out, I actually have a pie crust bag. But who knew they even made them 30 years ago? Let’s hear it for your grandma! Anyway, it’s what prompted me to begin using the plastic wrap. For me, the plastic wrap gives me more flexibility on sizes and control since I’m not always rolling out a circle. For some reason, it’s just easier for me than using the bag, but each baker has to decide what works best for them. I’ve also gotten into the plastic wrap process when I’m prepping my biscuits and scones. But basically, it does the same thing, right? And, I figure it is a good option for those who maybe don’t make pies that often and would rather not invest in any pie “paraphernalia.” But for those who want to geek out on all the pie tools…the pie crust bag is definitely an option to check out. I just hope that I’ve provided enough information to take some of the fear out of making a crust for those who have been unwilling to take that step. Happy Thanksgiving and hope you enjoy the recipe! I’m about to put a pie in the oven as we speak! :)
I am so excited that I found YOUR recipe on Pinterest! I’ll be making pie crusts using Einkorn flour for my sister, who does only gluten-free crusts. I wanted a recipe that called for butter instead of shortening, which is why I clicked yours. But your wonderfully detailed instructions are what are setting my mind at ease, even before I bake. Thank you, thank you! I’m very optimistic and excited about trying your recipe and instructions!
I will cross my fingers that it will all work out for you. I’ve just had so much success with this process and recipe and I always get compliments on it. That being said, I’ve never tried it with that type of flour. It does react differently than typical flours. Check out this post for more information. There are some adjustments they make to accommodate the special nature of the flour. You could potentially use that recipe with my process. They reduce the fat because of how the flour absorbs fat and they also add an egg white to help bind it together. It is also all butter, so that falls into your requirements. I haven’t tried their recipe, but I do respect how different ingredients can dramatically change the outcome. Hopefully that link will give you some extra info to work with. If you have time, I’d do a little testing perhaps with both recipes. Good luck!
I am loving all the step by step instructions! I have it in the fridge now for tmw. My recipe is a chocolate pie which requires a pre-baked crust. What do you recommend for this? Do I need to poke holes in the bottom first since I’m not filling it before baking? I’d REAAAALLY appreciate it. Thanks!
Here’s a quick link to blind baking a crust. Glad you’re loving the step by step directions. Hope it all works out for you!
Ramona,
Thanks for this recipe. It really turned out well. Merry Christmas 2019
You’re very welcome! Merry Christmas!
What different amounts of shortening do you use instead of butter? Or do you use the same equivalents as you do the butter?
Hi Patricia, I don’t know for sure. I’ve never made a crust with only shortening. My goal for this recipe was for it to be an all butter pie crust. If I were to try to make it with shortening, I’d probably start by using the same amount as butter, see if you like it, and then experiment from there.
I followed the recipe exactly as directed but did not turned out like I hope it would. I did not use Land O Lakes butter so that may have made a difference. I used the store brand kind. However I probably will not use this recipe again. I have one using butter that is softened and always had mix well and turned out fine. I do chill before rolling out. Sorry for not giving a good review.
Chris, I’m sorry that it didn’t work out for you. Without more specifics, it’s hard to know what went wrong and how I might help you. I’m happy to hear that you have a recipe that already works well for you.
Just tripled this recipe to make 1 pumpkin and 1 apple pie. You, are a genius!! Using plastic wrap to roll it out beforehand, I was skeptical! But it has got to best the best trick I’ve ever tried! No mess! I’m sold, thank you thank you thank you!!! Cant wait to try them on sunday for Thanksgiving!
Candice, using plastic wrap and rolling before chilling was pretty much life changing to my pie crust making. I’m so happy that my tips/tricks worked so well for you, too! So, you’re welcome, you’re welcome, you’re welcome!!!