An all-purpose, all-butter pie crust doesn’t have to be a nightmare. In fact, with our recipe it’s so easy that it should be outlawed. Within the world of pie-crust composition there is and always will be the debate over which pie fat ingredient yields the best taste and is the flakiest: vegetable shortening, butter, or 1/2 shortening & 1/2 butter. Culinary Maidens’ taste-buds say all-butter is undisputedly the winner of taste - who doesn’t love the rich flavor of butter? Plus it’s more natural. As for flakiness, butter yields a flakier set crust. Vegetable shortening crumbles and tastes like the crust was fried.
With this said, let’s move on to mastering a crust that will make you the envy of everyone you know.
This recipe yields a bottom and top pie crust for one pie. Preheat oven at 400°F when ready to bake. Place the wrack in the middle of the oven. This temperature will then be reduced after 15 min to 350°F for 45 min (a total of 1 hour baking time).With this said, let’s move on to mastering a crust that will make you the envy of everyone you know.
**This crust is ideal for fruit filling (the temp & time presented here is only for fruit filling), quiche filling, deep-dish pizza, or tarts. The dough will bake through, so the bottom of the pie will not be mushy when done. If a pie recipe filling yields more than 16oz. of filling the measurements below are to then be used for just the base of the crust (due to the increased volume of dough this will make, you will need to let dough set for 15 min. before rolling) w/ another 1/2 recipe for the top crust. Please note that when increasing bottom crust size add an aditional 15-30 min to baking time.
- 2 ½ cups of all-purpose white flour
- 2 - 4 oz sticks of frozen butter or 1 cup (we use salted
butter – that extra bit of salt yields a nice savory flavor), cut into ½ inch
slices then half those slices.
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp white granulated sugar
- 10 Tbsps. of ice-cold water (place ice-cubes into a bowl
of cold water – let stand for a minute or so to chill)
- 9” glass pie pan, spray with non-stick spray
Egg-wash:
- 1 large egg
- Splash of water (This variation of wash is ideal for a
butter crust. Plain milk will cause the butter to melt & crumble while
baking. And an egg yolk & milk combo will also cause the edge to melt.
***Please read all the instructions once or twice before beginning, to establish a sense of the techniques presented. They may seem overwhelming, but our goal is to be as precise as possible.
1. Prepare ice water first: several ice cubes within 1/3 cup cold water - let sit to chill. Combine flour, salt, and 1 tsp sugar into a food processor and pulse for a few seconds - if you don’t have a processor, whisk ingredients for the same amount of time. Like any baking recipe, be sure to level the surface of the measure cup when scooping flour – precise portions are critical, especially in a pie crust recipe. Add the butter - butter sticks frozen overnight are ideal (no thawing please). You want to see the butter in the dough – it distributes that rich buttery flavor in a more concentrated manner throughout the crust.
2. Pulse the butter about 3 dozen times. The butter is to be in bits, roughly half the size of a pea. When placing the Tbsps. of ice water in the mixture - one-at-a-time - drizzle the water in a circular motion over the flour mixture surface, rather than in one spot – this will distribute the moisture more evenly, offering less pulsing - using this technique will require that you remove the processor cover each time, instead of dropping the ice water into the shoot.
3. Okay, here’s where it’s crucial. Most recipes ask for 6-8 T of ice water. To us, 6-8 is a starting point. For the perfect ratio of moisture, we almost always put in 10 T in a food processor (by hand, 8-9). If you keep your flour in the freezer, please add 3 additional tablespoons - the freezer dries out the flour. There can’t be any crumbling when your fingers squeeze the flour mixture together. None. This instruction is critical for when rolling out the dough. When the dough is squeezed, grab a descent amount, about 2T – and make certain that it isn’t too moist either; there should be some resistance on the mixture but no crumbling or sliminess. You will see bits of butter in the flour mixture.
5. Remove the ball onto cutting board when complete, and divide into two chunks with a pastry cutter or spatula. Quickly form into two equal sized balls with hands, kneading isn’t necessary at this point, then wrap with plastic-wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour – the longer the better, up to 2 days. (If a lattice top is preferred cut one ball of dough slightly larger than the other, utilizing the larger portion for the base to create a prominent edge that will withstand the heat of the oven. Use smaller ball for lattice.
6. With the oven at 400°F time to shape the crust. You’ll need a rolling pin, four 12” sheets of plastic wrap (another of our favorite tips). Remove only one ball of crust from refrigerator – bringing to room temperature is not necessary. Remove the plastic wrap on the ball. Place the ball, without flour, onto two aligned sheets of plastic wrap on a cutting board or counter (You may also use wax paper as the base). Place the plastic wrap over the ball. This is where you really need to take heed. Press the ball down with your hand to establish a slightly flattened surface on the dough. Then with the rolling pin press the dough’s center and roll away from you. (If the plastic splits don’t worry. You may need to remove the plastic from the dough to realign, and continuously rotate the wax paper or pastic botton. The idea is to roll-out the dough in one direction at a time, evenly.
7. The dough is very firm so upper-body strength is required. Roll in a clockwise motion until you achieve a 12” diameter circle with a 1/8” thickness. (Taring and splitting will occur, mend seams as you go along, If the dough thins on edges, simply roll that edge inward and gently press the bump with the rolling pin). Keep in mind, the more time you spend on rolling the dough the more the butter is going to melt, making the dough a little tricky when transferring to the pan. If it does turn soft just remove the dough from the cutting board gently, or place in refrigerator for a few minutes to become pliable.
8. The plastic wrap and wax paper are used for this trick: After removing the top plastic from the dough place the rolling pin at the top edge of the dough. Gently roll the plastic or wax paper with dough onto the rolling pin. Remove the paper from the back of the dough as you roll toward you, wrapping the rolling pin, then lay the dough onto the pan’s edge. Align the pan's edge with the bottom of the crust, leaving a 1/2 inch to hang over the pan. Gently place the remainder of the crust onto the pan. The plastic or paper prevents the dough from sticking to your cutting board, and eliminates unnecessary flour use. Using the knuckles of your hand, gently press the dough against the pan. If tares should occur, gently mend by messaging with your thumb until the seams come together.
Lattice Crust: If using lattice-style top crust or no top crust at all, crimp the edges to shape. With a knuckle-pinching method and opposite hand finger poke create a traditional crimped crust or your own preferred style, then brush edge with egg wash to maintain shape when baking. Place in freezer for minimum of 1 hour – this will also hold the shape of the edge. Relating lattice technique via text isn’t as effective as visual instructions. YouTube has a great video demonstration for aligning the strips: http://youtu.be/bTHTt49e58w. (Be sure to refrigerate the lattice slices for 15 min before removing from the wax paper for easier handling when creating the lattice). Brush completed top with egg wash, and sprinkle with 1 1/2 - 2 tsp of remainded sugar.
Full Top Crust: Pour filling in crust then place the pan aside immediately after removing from freezer & top crust has been rolled. Remove the second refrigerated ball then repeat the process of rolling with plastic wrap and wax paper. Once the dough is rolled out, place the crust on top of the pie filling, trim excess to 1 inch hang then knuckle pinch both top and bottom excess together as demonstrated above. Whether lattice or full cover crust, when completed and edge is crimped brush crust (including edge) with an egg wash then sprinkle top with 1 1/2 - 2 tsp of sugar. Cut vent slits (2-3) on top of completed top crust.
9. Bake for 15 min. at 400°F then reduce temp to 350° for 45 min – this reduction helps the crust set without melting. (Be sure to place pan on cooking sheet or pie catcher in the oven). The crust doesn’t have to be a deep gold – it’s really your preference. We prefer a delicate gold crust – our reduction method yields this preference. If your oven runs hot cover the crust with a tin foil umbrella stemming from the base of the pie pan (do not let the foil touch the edge). Cover until halfway into baking process then remove foil to color edge.
Let the pie rest for upwards of 1 hour before cutting – this will help in preventing the filling from running when sliced (blueberry and apple tends to run, depending on the recipe).
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