6-Inch Basic Pie Pastry

Use a mix of fats in pastry dough for the most reliable result. Multiple fats give your pastry some of the durability of shortening with the flakiness of butter. I include ingredients for single and double crust pies.
Prep: 15 minute Blind bake: 15 to 17 minutes Bake at: 425°F Makes: single or double crust for 6 to 7-inch pie plate Difficulty: intermediate

Pie Pastry Success

Making great pie pastry is all about the water. Don't just use cool tap water. It has to be ice cold. The amount of water you add must be exactly right for the pastry to turn out well. If you add too little water, the dough will be crumbly and difficult to roll out. The greater sin is to add too much water; the pie crust will be tough as old shoe leather. When making the dough, you want the mixture to easily hold together when squeezed in your hand but without feeling wet.

Ingredients

Single Crust Pie Pastry

  • 1 1/4 cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cold
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
  • 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 tablespoons ice cold water
  • Parchment paper
  • Plastic wrap
  • Non-Stick cooking spray

Double Crust Pie Pastry

  • 1 3/4 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
  • Rounded 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cold
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
  • Parchment paper
  • Plastic wrap
  • Non-Stick cooking spray

Directions

Making the Pie Dough

  • Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl; press the baking powder through a small wire mesh sieve if lumpy. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Slice the butter into 1/4-inch pieces and scatter over the flour mixture. Cut in the butter until it is unevenly mixed with somewhat large chunks remaining.
  • Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water over the mixture and toss lightly with your hands. Add another tablespoon of water and toss. Add any additional water by teaspoons until the dough holds together when squeezed in your hand.
  • Form the dough into a ball and let warm in your hands for a minute or two. Press the crumbs into the ball and place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Add any remaining crumbs and then gently flatten into a rectangular shape with your hands.
  • Fold over the top third of the dough and firmly press together. Fold over the bottom third and press again. Repeat.
  • Form the dough into a smooth, round disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour. If making double crust pastry, divide the dough before chilling to allow about two-thirds for the bottom crust and one-third for the top crust.

Rolling Out the Pie Dough

  • Place the dough on the counter and let it warm until it is just malleable, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle your rolling surface with flour and place the dough disk in the center. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little flour or rub flour onto your rolling pin. Roll the dough lightly from the center (roll away from you) and give it a quarter turn. Continue rolling the dough and turning. To help prevent cracking, do not roll the edges until the dough is almost the right size for your pan. Add a little more flour as needed to prevent sticking. If the dough sticks, slide a metal spatula or bench scraper gently under the dough to loosen.
  • Roll out the dough until it is 1/8-inch thick and 2 inches greater in diameter than the top edge of the pan. Turn your pan upside down over the rolled out dough to check the size.
  • Unless you use a non-stick pie plate, prepare the pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray and wipe out the excess with a paper towel. Slide both hands under the dough with your fingers spread and lift it into the pan. Alternatively, drape the dough over the rolling pin to transfer or fold the dough into quarters.
  • To prevent shrinkage while baking, press the dough lightly into place without stretching. Using scissors or a knife, trim the overhang so that it is 1/2-inch larger than the pan. Fold under the extra dough along the rim of the pan to double thickness.
  • To decoratively flute the edge, pinch the dough together at even intervals around the rim between your thumb and forefinger. Chill or freeze the dough in the pan for 30 minutes before filling or blind baking (prebaking the crust).

Baking the Pie Crust

  • To blind bake, preheat the oven to 425°F. Thoroughly prick bottom and sides of the chilled pie shell with a fork or use pie weights (see below). Bake the crust for 15 to 17 minutes in the bottom third of the oven until the it is is light brown.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and fill immediately with a hot filling or let the crust cool for a cold filling.
  • If you fill the pie shell before baking, follow the recipe directions for temperature and baking time.

Make-Ahead Directions

Dough disks can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days before use. They can be wrapped, placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Let frozen dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight before use.

How to Use Pie Weights

Line your pie shell with parchment paper. You don't want to skip this step, as your weights might stick to the dough otherwise. Cut a large enough square or circle to allow for plenty of overhang; you'll need to be able to easily grab the sides without spilling hot weights everywhere. Add the pie weights (ceramic weights, uncooked beans, or rice) to the crust and fill the shell completely. Bake the weight-filled crust for 10 minutes until it just begins to brown. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully lift the pie weights using the parchment paper overhang. Pour them into a heat-proof bowl to cool down. Place the pan back into the oven for 5 minutes to expose the previously covered parts directly to heat.

Tips

• If you struggle to roll out pastry, try rolling between 2 sheets of parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle a little flour on the bottom sheet of the parchment paper and on top of the dough.• One trick to prevent soggy crust is to brush the bottom and partway up the sides of an unbaked pie shell with lightly beaten raw egg white. Do this just before adding the filling and baking. Do not brush the pie shell with egg white when blind baking.• A food processor is great for tart pastry, but overworks pie dough and makes it tough.
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