9-Inch Basic Pie Pastry

Make traditional pie pastry with a blend of vegetable shortening and butter. I like to make slightly more than I need so that the pastry drapes easily over the pie plate. My recipe produces a flaky, buttery crust every time—no more hit-or-miss results or settling for subpar pastries. With my 9-inch basic pie pastry recipe, your pies will stand out from the rest.
Prep: 15 minutes Blind bake: 15 to 17 minutes Bake at: 425°F Yield: single crust for 9-inch pie plate Difficulty: Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cold
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
  • 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 tablespoons ice cold water
  • Parchment or wax 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 it is lumpy. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Slice the butter into 1/4-inch pieces and scatter them over the flour mixture. Cut in the butter until it is unevenly mixed with somewhat large chunks remaining.
  • Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of ice cold water over the mixture and toss lightly with your hands. Add another tablespoon of water and toss. Add any additional water a little at a time until the dough just holds together when squeezed in your hand.
  • Form the dough into a ball and let it warm in your hands for a minute or two. Press crumbs into the ball and place it on a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Add any remaining crumbs and gently flatten the dough ball into a rectangular shape with your hands.
  • Fold over the top third of the dough and press together; fold over the bottom third and press again. Repeat.
  • Form the dough into a smooth, round disk, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Rolling Out the Pie Dough

  • Place the dough on the counter and let it warm until 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 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 it. The rolled-out dough should be about 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 are using a non-stick pie plate, prepare the pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray and wipe out any excess with a paper towel. Slide both hands under the rolled out dough and lift it into the pan. Alternatively, drape the dough over the rolling pin to transfer, or fold the dough into quarters and unfold in the pie plate. 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 flute the edge, pinch the dough together at even intervals between your thumb and forefinger around the rim . Chill or freeze the pastry for 30 minutes before filling or blind baking.
  • If you are filling the pie shell before baking, follow the recipe directions for temperature and baking time.

Blind Baking (Prebaking) the Pie Pastry

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Thoroughly prick the bottom and sides of the chilled pie shell with a fork or use pie weights. Bake it for 15 to 17 minutes in the bottom third of the oven until the crust is light brown.
  • Remove the baked pie crust from the oven and fill immediately for a hot filling, or let it cool for a cold filling.

Make-Ahead Directions

  • Dough disks can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before use or placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Let the frozen dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours before use.

Tips

  • If you struggle to roll out pastry, try rolling it between 2 sheets of parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle a little flour on the bottom sheet of 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 pastry with egg white when blind baking.
  • A food processor is great for tart pastry but overworks pie dough and makes it tough. Make pie pastry by hand and you'll achieve better results.

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