How to make the perfect pie crust

 Whoever said “easy as pie” was either lying or was a pie pro like my mother. The perfect pie crust, it has a salty sweet flavor and is soft and flaky and can sometimes be hard to make. I teamed up with my mother “the pro” to learn her ways and share with you how to make the perfect pie crust.

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My mom’s pies are like a slice of heaven (pun intended) mostly because of how perfectly flaky the crust is. Pie crusts have always been intimidating to me, mine come out alright but they are never as good as my mom’s. How does she do it!? I needed to know, especially with holiday pie season coming up. We had a pie baking day and she went through her process step by step and you know what? Pie crust is pretty easy to make once you know all the tricks. I took what I learned and created this tutorial on how to make the perfect pie crust full of tips from the pro.

This recipe goes back to my grandmother. My mom keeps the original but had to rewrite it because it was so faded (a sign of a well-enjoyed recipe). It’s pretty obvious which one is which : )

We made three pies total, two to eat and one to freeze. Check out how to freeze pies that will store for months at the end of this post. If you are planning on making more than one pie, double the recipe but never triple. It is risky making such a big batch and if it doesn’t turn out right it’s a lot to waste.

What you’ll need

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons lard
• 1/3 cup cold water

Let’s get started!

Put the water in the refrigerator to get cold. Never put it in the freezer, it can cause ice crystals which will mess with your crust. Also, put your lard and shortening in the fridge. Keeping your ingredients cold will make your pie experience much easier.

Measure out your flour into a sifter.

Tip from the pro: Use half all-purpose flour and half pastry flour to give it more flakiness. My mom swears by King Arthur’s pastry flour.

When measuring the flour, use a smaller measuring cup to scoop and dump into a 1 cup. Do this until full and scrape off excess from the top. This is to ensure an even measure, don’t shake or pack it or use the 1 cup to just scoop out of your flour container. Add the salt to flour and sift into a medium bowl.

Tip from the pro: Don’t skimp on the salt, a slightly salty taste adds more flavor to your pie and complements the sweet filling.

Add the shortening and use a pastry cutter or two butter knives to cut into flour until very fine, like large grains of sand. Do not add the lard yet, you will finish the dough after your pie filling is prepared. Place mixture in the refrigerator to stay cold. Prepare your pie filling according to your recipe’s instructions.

Tip from the pro: Add cinnamon to your pie filling, it’s great for the taste and can help regulate your blood sugar (there was actually a study about this). Always a good thing when you’re eating large amounts of pie.

Once your pie filling is made, add lard to the flour mixture and cut in coarsely or until the size of small peas. You should not see any large chunks of lard or shortening.

Time to add the cold water; every batch of pie dough can be different when it comes to the amount of water to use. It can depend on the weather, if it is dry out you may need more water than if it is humid. Add about 1/2 cup of the water to start and add more if the dough is dry. Mush dough with hands until mixed thoroughly, and no more than that. You don’t want to handle pie dough any more than you have to or it starts to get difficult, as my mother says “it’s is pie dough, not play dough”

Once it is mixed form into a ball and divide in half into two even balls. Take one and flatten out into a thick disk to roll out.

Tip from the pro: Place the thick disk of dough into your flour container and cover thoroughly. This prevents sticking and is easier to roll out.

Before rolling out, coat your rolling pin with flour. My mom uses a rolling pin sleeve which reduces sticking. Roll your dough using even strokes in all different directions to make a circular shape.  Hold your pie dish above your rolled dough and cut a circle about an inch bigger than your pie dish.

Okay, this is the moment of truth, getting your pie dough into the pie dish without rips or tears. Lift the dough up just enough to slide your fingers under and roll it over in half.

Slide hand carefully under and pull over pie dish to the halfway mark. Unfold and smooth out all creases so the dough is smooth on all sides. Pick your pie dish up and use a knife in a downward motion to cut off any excess dough.

Prick several holes into the bottom of the pie and then fill it. Take the second ball of dough and flatten out into a thick disk, coat in flour and roll out into a circle. Using the same technique fold dough in half and cover pie.

There are endless options of beautiful pie crust designs and I encourage you to try different ones, but if you are looking for a quick but pretty crust the fluted edge is the way to go. Roll excess dough on the sides under and pinch to create a small mountain looking crust. Use your thumb and index finger knuckle and the knuckle of your index finger on the opposite hand to crimp a fluted edge around your pie.

Don’t forget to cut some holes in the top to release the steam. Your pie is ready to bake! Baking times depend on the type of pie you are making so follow your recipe’s directions.

If you want to make pies to store, say to bring out during the holidays (which is a great idea, less work during the holidays, right?!) freezing pies is easy and they will keep for up to 6 months!

When your pie is prepared, place it in the freezer unwrapped. You do not want to wrap a room temperature pie, it can cause moisture in your crust. When the pie is frozen, wrap it in freezer wrap first and then with aluminum foil. Write what kind of pie it is and the date so you don’t forget and put it in the freezer. When it’s time to bake, take it out of the wrapping and let it sit for 30-45 minutes before putting in the oven. Cover the crust until the last 15 minutes of baking time. You will need to bake it an extra 5-10 minutes than your recipe says due to being partly frozen, so you don’t want your crust to burn!

Once it is done, take a few minutes to bask in the beauty of your pie and then dig in!