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Basic Pie Crust

Basic Pie Crust

This basic pie crust recipe is my first pie crust recipe and I’ve used it quite a few times. I used to make it just with 100% butter but I found that making it with 50% butter and 50% shortening yields a flakier crust. This is definitely not the perfect pie crust recipe as I found that it can be a little hard to handle sometimes as it tends to stick. But until I find a better one, this is the one I’m going to stick to!

Step-by-Step Photos

Basic Pie Crust
Whisk flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut cold butter and shortening into small cubes and add into the flour mixture.
Basic Pie Crust
Cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry blender – use a spoon to dislodge any pieces stuck in the pastry blender periodically. It will be quite difficult to blend them together at the start as the butter and shortening are still cold.
Basic Pie Crust
The mixture should be a consistency of damp sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter and shortening remaining – on hindsight, I should have blend it a little longer as there are still too many large pieces remaining. (Will update a photo when I make it again!)
Basic Pie Crust
Whisk egg, vinegar and 1 tablespoon cold water together and stir into the large mixing bowl.
Basic Pie Crust
Add in cold water teaspoon by teaspoon, if needed, so that the mixture is moist and comes together and hold its shape into a ball. Do not over-work the dough!
Basic Pie Crust
Divide the dough into 2, 3 or 4 portions, if desired, wrapping each portion with a plastic wrap and flatten gently. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using it.

This pie crust has been used in the following recipes:

Apple and Peanut Butter Galette
Apple and Peanut Butter Galette
Classic Apple Pie
Classic Apple Pie
Nutella Tarts
Nutella Tarts
Blueberry Tarts
Blueberry Tarts
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Basic Pie Crust

Divided into 2 portions, each portion of dough is sufficient to cover a 9 or 10-inch pie dish.
Divided into 3 portions, each portion of dough is sufficient to cover a 7-inch pie dish.
By Jasline N.
Prep Time25 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings: 0

INGREDIENTS
 

  • 280 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 115 grams cold shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 115 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 large egg, cold from the refrigerator
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons ice-cold water

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Place flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in shortening and butter and cut with a pastry blender until the mixture is a consistency of damp sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter and shortening remaining.
  • Whisk egg, vinegar and 1 tablespoon cold water together and stir into the large mixing bowl. Mix well. Add in cold water teaspoon by teaspoon, if needed, so that the mixture is moist and comes together and hold its shape into a ball. Do not over-work the dough!
  • Divide the dough into 2, 3 or 4 portions, if desired, wrapping each portion with a plastic wrap and flatten gently. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using it. If the dough has been refrigerated for hours or overnight, it may need to soften at room temperature before it can be rolled out easily.

NOTES

To freeze:
Divide the dough into required portions. Wrap with 2 layers of plastic wrap and freeze them. When needed, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Let it rest at room temperature for about 15 to 30 minutes before rolling it out.
Alternatively, roll out the dough and line the tart tin, freeze the pie dough in the tart tin for at least 4 hours, then transfer it (tin and pie dough together) into a ziploc bag and freeze. Thaw the pie dough in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Adapted from 500 Pies & Tarts by Rebecca Baugniet
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