Basic Pie Crust

- Submitted by Dahlia

Recipe For Basic Pie Crust

Makes one 9" pie crust.

Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour - 1.5 cup
• Cold Butter (cut into small cubes) - 6 tbsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Ice Water - 4-5 tbsp

Method

Basic Crust

1. First mix the salt with the flour.
2. Add the small cubes of butter and mix with the flour. The bits of butter should be uniformly distributed throughout the flour. You can also pulse the flour and butter in the food processor instead of doing it by hand.
3. Finally add 1 tbsp of cold water and form a dough. Add water 1 tbsp at a time until the dough is formed.

   

4. Wrap it in a plastic wrap or cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
5. After the dough sits in the fridge it hardens a bit and is more manageable.
6. Roll it into a thin sheet using a rolling pin. If not, press it onto the pie plate with your fingers. It should cover the pie plate as a uniform thin layer.

   

7. The basic pie crust is ready. You can add the filling of your choice and proceed.

Blind Baking

Some recipes call for a fully baked pie crust or partially baked pie crust before adding the filling. In such cases you have to pre-bake the crust before filling. This is referred to as Blind Baking. This is usually done when the pie filling needs no cooking or less cooking time than the pie crust.

For Blind Baking the pie crust

1. First put an aluminium foil over the crust. Add some weight on top like rice or dry beans. This prevents the crust from puffing up.

   

2. Bake it in 375 degree F (180 degree C) for about 15 minutes. If you want a partially baked pie crust, remove at this stage and add the filling.
3. If you want a fully baked crust, remove the weight. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and return the crust to the oven for another 15 minutes or until it is slightly browned. You will have a crispy, flaky pie crust ready for the filling.

   

Variation

• The above recipe make the basic pie crust for any type of pies. You can use it right away or freeze it.
• If you are making a pie crust specifically for dessert pies, you can add 2 tbsp of sugar when making the pie crust.
• Similarly for savory pies, add 1/2 tsp of crushed black pepper to the flour.

  

Some Pie Recipes

Apple Pie	Lemon Meringue Pie	Pecan Pie	Turkey Pie
See More...