What is the trick to making good pie crust?

Use Very Cold Butter or Fat Butter, shortening, lard, or suet—whatever fat the recipe calls for should be well-chilled and cut into small pieces to start with for the flakiest crust in the end. The fat in a pie crust must maintain some of its integrity in the dough to make the crust truly flaky.

What does adding vinegar to pie crust do?

Apple cider vinegar is added to relax the gluten proteins in your dough and tenderize it . You can also substitute it with an equal amount of white vinegar. Cold Water: For pie crusts that are flaky, cold water is a must. Adding warm liquid would melt the shortening that we carefully cut into our flour for flakiness.

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.

Is pie crust better with butter or crisco?

“ My preferred fat for pie crusts will always be butter . To me, it is all about flavor, and no other fat gives flavor to a crust like butter does. Other fats, even though they have great pros, lack flavor,” De Sa Martins said. “The more flavorful the butter, the more flavor your pie crust will have,” Huntsberger added.

What is one thing you should not do when making pie crust?

Mistake to Avoid No. Adding more flour is always an option, but add too much flour and your dough will end up like a cracker—not a pie crust. Remember: The more you mix your pie dough, the tougher it becomes. To keep the mixing to a minimum, try rolling out your dough between two pieces of parchment paper.

Why put an egg in pie crust?

Eggs also make the crust more compact. Acid and Alcohol: Both acid and alcohol tenderize pie dough, make it easier to roll out, and prevent it from shrinking in your pan. If these things give you trouble, try substituting a teaspoon of the liquid with lemon juice or a tablespoon or two with liquor.

Why do you put milk instead of water in a 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.

What is the most important factor in creating a pie crust with an excellent texture?

The balance of key ingredients At a very basic level, the flour combines with the water to activate the gluten . The gluten gives the dough it's stretch and strength. Too much gluten and your pie crust will be tough and leathery. Too little and you'll have weak dough that tears and loses its shape when baked.

What is the most important rule in making a pie crust?

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 secret of good pastry?

Water, however, is absorbed much less easily into flour proteins when the temperature is colder. That's why purists recommend cold ingredients, cold equipment and marble boards . Keeping the butter cold also helps when making short crust pastry because it doesn't melt into the flour when you are working it in.

What does egg yolk do to pastry dough?

If your recipe calls for an egg yolk, know that the yolk adds fat as well as natural lecithin, which makes the dough pliable and easier to handle .

How do you make a pie crust that doesn't get soggy?

Coating the inside surface of the bottom crust will create a barrier to prevent sogginess . Adding a layer of corn syrup or a slightly beaten egg white before pouring in the filling will form a seal between the pie dough and the filling and will help make the crust crisp and flaky.

Grandma's Secret Pie Crust Recipe with Tips for the Perfect Pie Crust (2024)

September 3, 2022 by Danelle 30 Comments

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GRANDMA’S SECRET PIE CRUST — A few secret ingredients come together in this perfect pie crust recipe. So tender and flaky, you’ll never use another pie crust recipe again!

I confess, I’m a little intimidated when it comes to making pie crust. Or at least, I was, until I tried this recipe for Grandma’s Secret Pie Crust.

This isn’tmygrandma’s recipe, but it’s definitely my go-to pie crust recipe. Although, come to think of it, both of my grandma’s were great cooks, so they probably knew all the secrets for making pie crust.

Their secret ingredients in this recipe are the vinegar and the egg. You don’t see eggs and vinegar in most pie crust recipes.

I don’t know what they do, exactly, but I do know I’ve tried plenty of pie crust recipes without eggs and vinegar, and this one is by far the best!

I’m still not great at rolling out a crust and fitting into a pie pan, but at least I know my crust will be light and flaky.It might not look pretty, but it will be good!

I confess, I don’t always make my pie crusts from scratch. Sometimes I need to save time and I opt for a pre-made crust. The thing is, my family usually can’t tell the difference.

But if I’m making a really special pie for a special occasion, like a birthday, I always go the homemade route.

I’ve also learned that there are certain pies that taste noticeably better with a homemade crust. For example, when I make my Best Banana Cream Pie, I always make the crust from scratch because it makes such a difference!

Even if you don’t make pie crust from scratch all that often, everyone needs a really good pie crust recipe in their baking repertoire.

And Grandma’s Secret Pie Crust is hands-down the best pie crust recipe you’ll ever try!

Here are a few more handy tips for making the perfect pie crust:

Make sure your butter and water are very cold. I add a some ice to my water, and cut my butter in small pieces and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes before I start making my crust
For the flakiest crust, once you’ve cut in your butter, finish mixing your pie crust by hand.
Most pie crust recipes have you refrigerate the dough before rolling, but I find the cold dough is so hard to roll out. I prefer to roll my crust immediately after mixing, then place the crust in a pie pan and chill it. Whichever method you use, don’t skip the chilling step!
Use a pie crust shield if you’re crust will be in the oven longer than 20 minutes. Otherwise you’ll end up with burnt edges on your pie. I usually remove the shield when my pie has about 15 minutes left to bake so the edges can get nice and golden.
If you’ll be baking your crust and filling it later (such as for a cream pie), poke the dough all over with a fork before baking. It’s also a good idea to use pie weights or something similar to keep your crust from sliding down the sides of the pie pan. You don’t need anything fancy. I just line my crust with parchment paper and fill it with dried beans.

If you have a food processor, you can use that to cut in the butter, but you’ll still want to add the liquids by hand.This recipe makes enough fortwo single crust pies, or one double crust pie.

Be sure to save this recipe forGrandma’s Secret Pie Crust to your favorite Pinterest board for later.

Here’s what you’ll need to make Grandma’s Secret Pie Crust

Flour
Salt
Butter
Eggs
White vinegar

Grandma’s Secret Pie Crust

Danelle

A few secret ingredients come together in this perfect pie crust recipe. So tender and flaky, you'll never use another pie crust recipe again!

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cold butter diced
1 egg beaten
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
4 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

In large bowl mix flour and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, or two knives, leaving lumps about the size of peas.
In a separate bowl, mix together egg, vinegar, and water. Drizzle wet mixture into dry mixture, a little bit at a time, cutting it in. Add just enough liquid that the dough comes together.
Roll dough to desired size, then place in pie pans (or on a parchment lined baking sheet for a top crust) and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking.
See Also
The Best Ginger Snap Cookie Recipe | crave the good
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. For a pre-baked crust (to be filled after baking, such as for a cream pie) bake for 10-15 minutes, or until just golden. For a pie crust that is baked with filling, bake as indicated in pie recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 434kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 6gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 503mgFiber: 1g

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Who Dished It Up First:Adapted fromallrecipes.com

Last Updated on 2024-03-22 by Danelle