While I love desserts of all types, if I were forced to choose between cake and pie, I’m going for the latter. Why? I love pie crust. When done properly, it is buttery, flaky perfection and takes whatever filling it holds to new heights. However, making a good pie crust is not an easy feat without proper technique. Aside from carefully following a recipe from a trusted source, here are seven pie crust tips every baker should know.
(I’m referring to traditional rolled pie crusts here, but if you’re looking for something simpler, try this press-in cookie crust instead.)
1
Keep the dough ingredients cool
Return to menu
The key to standard pie crust is having pockets of fat surrounded by flour. But if that fat starts to melt and mixes with the flour, it can start to develop gluten, which can lead to a tough crust. To prevent this, keep everything as cold as possible. Some bakers go so far as to put ingredients and equipment in the fridge or freezer before making pie crust. This is certainly an option, but freezing the butter or other fat can actually make things more difficult for you if you’re just using your fingers, as it will be too stiff to break into small pieces. If you have them — or want to make the investment — food processors or pastry cutters are great for limiting how much you have to touch the dough with your warm hands. But even without such equipment, as long as you work quickly, you should be good to go.
Return to menu
Tough pie crusts are typically the result of working the dough too much (again, gluten). You don’t need to make sure it’s a perfectly uniform ball. “As long as the dough is mostly holding together, you don’t need to spend a lot of time kneading it,” Susan Reid wrote for King Arthur Baking.
3
Hydrate the dough (but not too much)
Return to menu
Following the point above about the dough not needing to be perfectly smooth and holding together, be careful about how much liquid you add when making your pie crust. If it’s not holding together at all, you can add more liquid (typically ice water) one tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together when you squeeze it with your hand. Too much liquid also can develop too much gluten.
Return to menu
While not completely necessary all the time, it’s usually a good idea to put the pie dough in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes before rolling it out. The main reason I do so is to keep the fat from melting, particularly if you’re working in a warm kitchen. Also, if you worked the dough more than you should have, a rest period allows any gluten that may have developed to relax, which should make the pie crust easier to roll out. And while you can keep the pie dough in the fridge for longer than 30 minutes (up to two days), it will be too cold at that point and you’ll need to let it sit on the counter at room temperature to let it soften before rolling it out.
5
Keep the dough from sticking
Return to menu
To prevent the dough from sticking to the counter when rolling it out, large sheets of parchment paper are a great solution, but I’ve encountered them only in professional kitchens. For home bakers, an easy alternative is simply to dust everything — the counter, the dough itself and the rolling pin — with as much flour as needed. If it starts to stick at any point, simply add flour. You don’t really need to be concerned about adding too much at this point, because you can brush off any excess.
This easy peach crumble pie recipe has a press-in crust
6
Roll the dough out evenly
Return to menu
Pie crust with an even thickness is important so that the pie has the proper structure and is evenly cooked. Any good pie crust recipe should tell you to rotate the dough as you’re rolling it out, but I also like to flip it over once or twice during the process for extra insurance. (This is also an easy way to tell when you need to add flour to prevent it from sticking.) And when rolling, roll from the center out (it’s easier to exert even pressure this way instead of trying to roll across the entire diameter of the dough) and don’t roll the pin over the edge (as this can cause it to get too thin).
Return to menu
I’ve already talked about letting the pie dough relax in the fridge, but this time I’m talking to you. Yes, we’d all love to make picture-perfect pies, but don’t stress yourself out too much about perfection. You can easily fix any tears or rips by pinching the dough together or filling it in with extra bits of dough. Regardless of how the pie looks, it should still taste great because, at the end of the day, any pie is better than no pie.
FAQs
For the flakiest pastry, be sure your fats (butter and vegetable shortening) are very cold. Before you start your dough, dice the butter and portion the shortening into a few clumps and place the fats on a plate, then cover with plastic wrap.
How do you achieve a tender and flaky crust? ›
For the flakiest pastry, be sure your fats (butter and vegetable shortening) are very cold. Before you start your dough, dice the butter and portion the shortening into a few clumps and place the fats on a plate, then cover with plastic wrap.
What is the secret to a flaky crust? ›
The flakiness of a crust is a result of both the fat that you use and how much you work the fat into the flour before adding the water. Because of their higher melting temperature and unique structure, lard and shortening do make very flaky crusts.
What are the six ways to ensure a tender flaky pie crust? ›
10 Tips for Making Perfect Pie Crust
- Use Very Cold Butter or Fat. ...
- Retain Some Chunks. ...
- Limit the Water. ...
- Make a Disk. ...
- Chill the Dough. ...
- Roll the Dough, Turn the Dough. ...
- Think Curbs, Not Driveways. ...
- Let the Dough Fall Into the Pan.
Start with chilled ingredients
Butter creates a sturdy, crisp pie crust. For this, it is important to keep all ingredients cold which will inhibit the development of gluten in the flour. Use butter right out of the refrigerator and add ice-cold water to make the dough.
What causes a pie crust to be tender and not flaky? ›
Keep the dough ingredients cool
The key to standard pie crust is having pockets of fat surrounded by flour. But if that fat starts to melt and mixes with the flour, it can start to develop gluten, which can lead to a tough crust. To prevent this, keep everything as cold as possible.
What does adding vinegar to pie crust do? ›
The acidic properties of vinegar inhibit gluten, some will say. This theory proposes that once the water and flour are combined, gluten starts forming, causing the dough to grow tough. Adding an acid, the theory goes, stops the gluten in its tracks and rescues the crust from toughness.
Does butter or shortening make a flakier crust? ›
Butter for flakiness and flavor, and shortening for its high melting point and ability to help the crust hold shape. You can use butter-flavor shortening if desired. If you want to skip the shortening, feel free to try this all-butter pie crust instead.
Why add baking powder to pie crust? ›
“An eighth of a teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour not only serves to help counteract the dough's tendency to shrink, it also helps to lift, aerate, and tenderize it,” she wrote in “The Pie and Pastry Bible.” It's an especially useful ingredient in gluten-free pie crusts, as it can improve the texture.
What ingredient in a pastry crust affects flakiness and tenderness? ›
Shortening gives you better flakes because it melts so slowly that the dough surrounding the piece of shortening has more time to cook before the fat melts. This leaves you with bigger pockets or flakes in your pie dough. Butter gives you flavor and tenderness, shortening gives you flakes.
The Most Common Pie Crust Mistakes (And Ways To Avoid Them)
- The ingredients are too warm. ...
- The pie dough is overworked from excessive mixing or rolling. ...
- The pie dough isn't given enough time to relax and chill. ...
- The pie dough is shrinking down the sides of the pan.
PIE DOUGH RULES
As important as not overmixing is staying chilled, literally!! That means keeping all elements cold— your counter, ingredients, hands, heart (just kidding!). No, but seriously, cut up your butter into little cubes and chill them before you incorporate them into the flour.
What is the number 2 most important thing when making pie crust? ›
#2—Add cold water
Before you start making the dough, fill a glass with ice and water. Add the ice water gradually to the dough, about one tablespoon or so at a time, and stop when the dough is just moist enough to hold together when a handful is squeezed.
What does an egg do to pie crust? ›
Egg: The egg in this recipe acts as a binder that allows for a flakier, more delicate crust. It also binds all of your ingredients together so that you can roll out your pie dough without it breaking apart.
Is it better to put milk or water in pie crust? ›
Some bakers use milk or buttermilk in their pie crust. Thanks to their milk solids, both will help crust brown and add a bit of tenderness. But the classic liquid in pie crust is water — ice water, to be precise.
Will too much flour make the pie crust tough? ›
A: First, don't just reach for more flour—too much extra flour will make the crust tough, and won't treat the real problem, which is that your butter is too soft. I recently read in Weller's cookbook A Good Bake that it should take no more than one to two minutes to roll out a pie crust.
How does a flaky tender pastry result? ›
Flakiness is achieved when there are discernable lumps of cold fat remaining in the final dough. In a hot oven, the dough sets quickly around these cold bits of fat. The bits of fat then melt, leaving holes and creating flaky layers.
What gives tenderness and flakiness to a baked product? ›
Fat, in the form of solid shortening, margarine, or butter; or in the liquid form of oil contributes tenderness, moistness, and a smooth mouthfeel to baked goods. Fats enhance the flavors of other ingredients as well as contributing its own flavor, as in the case of butter.
What ingredient tenderizes and helps crust brown? ›
Sugar gives sweetness to baked products. It also has a tenderizing effect and helps crusts brown. In yeast breads, sugar serves as food for the yeast.
What contributes to a flaky texture of a crust? ›
While butter, shortening, or lard make equally light and tender crusts, an all-butter crust will be flakier due to butter's higher water content: as the crust bakes the butter melts and its water turns to steam, creating thin, crisp layers (flakes).
