How to Make Tender, Flakey Pie Crust
The crust on a pie is what really defines a “great” pie. Many years ago, I perfected a recipe for a buttery, flakey pie crust. It is slightly sweet, and it has a wonderful, buttery flavor which compliments any type of filling, sweet or savory, fruit or custard.
This pie crust can be made in a food processor, or in a steel mixing bowl, by hand. Below I will outline the method for each process. But first, lets discuss some key points to making the best pie crust.
All liquids for a pie crust should be “ice” cold. This includes butter, egg, water, and cream. Why?
It is important to prepare the dough as detailed in the recipe. A dough that is too wet, or too dry will be problematic. It takes a bit of practice, but honestly it is not difficult, and it it quite possible to achieve a perfect dough on your first attempt.
Handling the dough should be as minimal as possible. The more pie dough is handled, the warmer it gets, and this eliminates the opportunity for it being flakey. I recommend cooling down your hands in ice water before handling your chilled dough.
Also, you want to complete rolling out your dough in one passing. By this I mean, when you roll out your disk of dough, do it on a floured counter. Used soft, but firm, steady strokes to yield an evenly thick dough. Your dough should be approximately 1/8-inch thick when ready to place into the pie dish.
If you have difficulty with the dough sticking, being too wet or crumbling because it is too dry, you may need to begin again. Your first success comes when you prepare the dough properly.
To transfer the rolled out dough to the pie dish, you can do this by making sure the counter was floured, and the dough is not sticking to the counter. If it sticks, work to loosen it carefully, and remember next time to use more flour before rolling.
Fold the rolled dough in half, and then in half again, avoiding making a crease in the dough at the folds. Folding the dough makes it a bit easier to transfer (avoiding tears and possible punctures). When you get it to the pie dish, place the point of the triangle in the center of the dish and unfold. The dough should lay in the pie dish with about a 1-1/2” over-hang on the edge. Now you are ready to fold the excess dough under, and crimp the edge decoratively.
When I crimp the edge, I also press the dough down, onto the pie dish edge. I want to make sure it stays put when it bakes.
5. Baking your pie crust. Some recipes call for the crust to be baked empty, and some pies a re filled and then baked. If you bake the pie shell empty, you should prick the dough with a fork. This allows steam from the dough to escape. I also recommend using pie weights (order them online, or buy them at a kitchen store).
Before I bake a pie, I believe in putting the filled or empty pie in the freezer for about 15 minutes before placing it in the oven. This does two things. It helps the crust hold its shape, avoiding sloughing. It also promotes the flakey texture.
6. Don’t under-bake or over-bake your pie crust. Make sure the oven is set at the proper temperature. If you live at altitude, make sure you check the baking recommendations. Altitude will affect the baking time and temperature you should use.