Pie is an iconic American dessert, and a satisfying kitchen project. Melissa Clark helps you master the crust.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Steps:
- You'll need a 9-inch pie pan, a rolling pin and pie weights (or use dried beans).Your butter must be cold; even frozen butter works as long as you cut it into cubes before freezing.Be sure to factor in at least one hour to let your dough chill before rolling it out.
- Some bakers use lard in their pie crust, while others turn to shortening. But in general, butter is your best bet: it's easy to find, it has fantastic flavor, and it yields a tender, flaky crust. This is an all-butter crust recipe that will empower even the most nervous pie makers, a simple dough of butter and all-purpose flour that is easy to make and dependable as can be. If you plan to make a pie with a top crust, double the recipe; when it's time to chill the dough, divide it in half and shape into two disks to put in the fridge. The dough will also keep for 3 months in the freezer, if you want to stash a few disks there. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Lightly dust flour onto a clean counter and onto a rolling pin. (Alternatively, you can roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap; no flour required.) Put the dough on the floured surface and, using the pin, roll away from you, applying pressure evenly. Rotate the dough clockwise as you work so it's uniformly thin and isn't rolled irretrievably into the counter. Lightly dust the counter with flour as you work. But don't overdo it with the flour. Too much flour all at once makes a tough crust. Continue to roll the dough in all directions until you have a 12-inch circle. (If your rolled dough doesn't end up in a neat circle, you can trim it, and use the trimmings to patch up any rips, holes or bald spots.) Transfer crust to a 9-inch pie pan by gently rolling it up onto the pin, then carefully unfurling it into the pan. Fold over any excess dough. If you're not making a top crust, then the crimp edges now. Prick crust all over with a fork, then chill crust for 30 minutes. Your crust is now ready to fill or blind bake.
- Blind baking is partially baking a pie crust before you add the filling, which helps keep the crust crunchy. After filling it, you return the pie to the oven to finish baking. It's a particularly good method for custard pies, like pumpkin and pecan, that are prone to sogginess. Blind baking can be done up to 24 hours before filling; cover the crust loosely with a dish towel and store it at room temperature.Begin with the chilled, rolled-out dough in the pan. Line the dough with parchment paper or foil. Fill the parchment or foil with pie weights, uncooked rice or dried beans. Transfer to a 425-degree oven. Bake the crust until it firms up, about 15 minutes. It will still be very pale at this point. Remove the parchment or foil and weights, then return crust to the oven to brown slightly. Bake the crust 5 to 7 minutes more, until pale golden brown. Let it cool on a rack before filling.
- Custard pies don't usually have tops, but fruit pies just about always do, and it's something you can play around with. Start with any fruit filling you like, pile it into your pan, and then choose one of the top crusts, or the crumble, below.To make a lattice top, you'll need to double your pie dough if it's not already a recipe for a double crust. Roll out the chilled dough and cut it into 1-inch thick strips. Place half the dough strips parallel to each other across the top of the filled pie. (Reserve some of the longer strips for when you weave the lattice.) The longest strip should be in the center of the pie. Flip up every other strip on the pie. Place another long strip perpendicular to the others across the center of the pie. Flip those strips back down, then flip up the other strips. Weave in a second strip of dough. Repeat process on one side, and then the other, until you have fully covered the pie with woven strips.Gently press lattice strip edges into the bottom crust, then crimp the edges to seal the top and bottom crusts together. Or, if you've blind baked the bottom crust, simply tuck in the edges of the lattice so the strips don't hang over the side of the pan. Brush lattice all over with milk, cream or an egg wash (a mix of egg and water or milk) to encourage browning. You can sprinkle the top with sugar or cinnamon sugar if you like. To cover the top of the whole pie, you'll need to double your pie dough if it's not already a recipe for a double crust. Roll out the chilled dough, then lay it out over the top of the filled pie.Crimp the edges to seal the top and bottom crusts together. Or, if you've blind baked the bottom crust, simply tuck in the edges of the top crust so it doesn't hang over the side of the pan.Slash the top of the pie with a knife to allow steam to escape. Brush top crust all over with milk, cream or an egg wash (a mix of egg and water or milk) to encourage browning. You can sprinkle it with sugar or cinnamon sugar if you like.To make a top using dough cutouts, you'll need to double your pie dough if it's not already a recipe for a double crust. Roll out the chilled dough and use decorative cookie cutters (circles, leaves, etc.) to cut out shapes from the dough.If you haven't blind baked the crust, use a paring knife or scissors to trim any dough that is hanging over the edge of the pan. The dough should be flush with the edge of the pan.Arrange a ring of cutouts around the outer edge of the filled pie (the cutouts should be touching the crust, coming flush to the edge).Continue adding cutouts to fully cover the top of the pie. You can overlap the cutouts (or not) as you see fit.Brush cutouts all over with milk, cream or an egg wash (a mix of egg and water or milk) to encourage browning. You can sprinkle the cutouts with sugar or cinnamon sugar if you like.To make a simple crumble for a standard 9-inch pie, combine 3/4 cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) cinnamon, a large pinch of salt and 5 tablespoons (71 grams) softened butter in a large bowl.Use your hands to mix the ingredients together, pinching the mixture until large crumbs form. The crumbs should be on the larger side, a bit bigger than a lima bean. Do not make small crumbs.Scatter crumbs over the top of the pie. It is nice, but not necessary, to mound more of the crumbs in the center of the pie and fade them out toward the edges so that some of the filling can show.
- Always bake a pie on a rimmed baking sheet to contain any overflow. A baking sheet also makes removing the pie from the oven easier.You can freeze a whole, unbaked fruit pie. Then bake it while still frozen, adding about 15 minutes onto the baking time. Do not thaw it first or you could lose flakiness in the crust.For the best-looking crimped crust, or to avoid having your crust shrink in the oven, freeze the unbaked pie dough before filling and baking (or blind baking). The colder your dough when you get it into the oven, the better it holds its shape.You can store your baked pie at room temperature, covered, for up to one day. After that, the crust will become irretrievably soggy.
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LITONHOSSAN MAYA
[email protected]This is a great pie crust recipe. It's easy to follow and the results are delicious.
Gab Gab
[email protected]I love this pie crust recipe. It's my favorite to use for my apple pies.
Ali Razaraza
[email protected]This pie crust recipe is amazing! It's so easy to make and the results are always perfect. I highly recommend it!
EDUARDO JAVIER Garcia
[email protected]I'm so glad I found this pie crust recipe. It's the best one I've ever tried. My pies always turn out perfect now.
Malik Fadi
[email protected]This pie crust recipe is my go-to for all my pies. It's so flaky and delicious, and it's always a hit with my family and friends.
Official Demon
[email protected]I love how easy this pie crust recipe is. I can always count on it to turn out perfect, even when I'm short on time.
Denyella Patterson
[email protected]This pie crust recipe is a lifesaver! I used to be terrible at making pie crust, but this recipe makes it so easy. My pies always turn out perfect now.
MD.JUBAYER HOSEN SHAOWN
[email protected]I've been using this pie crust recipe for years and it never fails me. It's always flaky and delicious, and it's so easy to make.
kim jana
[email protected]I was really impressed with this pie crust recipe. It was so easy to follow and the crust turned out perfectly. It was flaky and golden brown, and it held up well to my filling.
SK khokon
[email protected]This is the best pie crust recipe I've ever used. It's so easy to make and the results are always perfect. I highly recommend it!
FOLK BOY
[email protected]I love this pie crust recipe! It's so versatile. I've used it for apple pie, cherry pie, and even quiche. It always turns out amazing!
Tajmuhammad Domki95
[email protected]This recipe is a game-changer! I used to be intimidated by making pie crust, but this recipe made it so easy. The crust turned out perfectly, and my pie was a hit.
Ronalyn Botha
[email protected]I've tried many pie crust recipes, but this one is by far the best. The crust is always flaky and delicious, and it's so easy to make.
andualem Dejene
[email protected]This pie crust recipe is a keeper! It was so easy to follow and the results were amazing. The crust was flaky and golden brown, and it held up perfectly to my apple filling.