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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Modified: Jul 17, 2024 · Published: Jul 10, 2020 by Melinda O'Malley Keckler · This post may contain affiliate links · this blog generates income from ads.

    Perfect Pie Crust

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This flaky pie crust is pastry perfection. I've been making pies since I was a kid, but this recipe for Perfect Pie Crust is the best I've ever found. There's no need to chill the dough and it makes enough for 4 or 5 pies - so you can freeze some for later.

    Use this pie crust recipe to make a family classic, Old Fashioned Strawberry Rhubarb pie. A treat everyone loves!

    Baked pie crust.
    Jump to:
    • 💭 Ingredients to Have on Hand
    • 🥧 A Freezer-Friendly Pie Crust Recipe
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 How to Roll Out Perfect Pie Crust
    • 🥣 How to Make Single-Crust Pies
    • More Dessert Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    💭 Ingredients to Have on Hand

    Pie crusts can seem daunting to make from scratch and often it's the time that goes into waiting while the crust chills that can make it that way. This recipe is a breeze because you roll out your dough within minutes. Here are the ingredients to have handy:

    • All-purpose flour: The basic staple of every pantry!
    • Shortening: This ingredient helps ensure the pie crust is tender and flaky. The perfect pie crust!
    • Egg: This helps the ingredients hold together and add moisture, which helps make the crust easier to roll out without chilling the dough first.
    • White Vinegar: Here's another ingredient that helps stabilize the dough, making it easy to handle, smooth and less likely to tear or fall apart as you roll it out.

    Scroll down to the recipe card for details on the quantities of each ingredient.

    Pie is an incredible dessert and a wonderful treat any time of year, and especially during the holidays. Other tasty desserts worthy of serving for holiday desserts include Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Pie, Fresh Fruit Tart, Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars and Vanilla Cheesecake.

    🥧 A Freezer-Friendly Pie Crust Recipe

    When it's the holidays and we're making pies for a crowd, it's easy to use up every one of these crusts in one baking project. It's another reason why I love this recipe!

    But other times, we may just need one or two pie crusts and that's where the freezer comes in handy.

    Once you divide the dough into four or five portions, pat them into flat rounds and wrap them in waxed paper.

    The bottom crust of a pie in a pie dish.

    Place each rolled portion in a zipped-top freezer bag, write the date on the bag and freeze until you're ready to make pies. The crust defrosts perfectly in the fridge in about 8 hours.

    Pro Tip: Practice makes perfect and that goes for pie crust. Perfect Pie Crust is easy to make and what I've found is the more often I make this recipe, the better I get at rolling out the dough.

    👩🏻‍🍳 How to Roll Out Perfect Pie Crust

    With this recipe, you'll have at least four or five pie crusts to roll out and make beautiful pie crusts with. After combining the ingredients, divide the dough into five equal portions (or 4 portions if you are making deep dish or larger-sized pies).

    1. Spread a tablespoon or two of flour on a cutting board.
    2. Place a piece of waxed paper on top of the flour and add another tablespoon or two on top. Spread the flour around the surface of the waxed paper
    3. Add one of the pie crust rounds on top and dust with a little more flour.
    4. Place another piece of waxed paper on top and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into 9 or 10-inch crusts.
    A baked pie, out of the oven.

    Pro Tip: Waxed paper is important when you roll out the dough, some folks like to use parchment paper between the rolling pin and the pie dough, but I think the thinner, more flexible waxed paper works best for pie crusts.

    🥣 How to Make Single-Crust Pies

    If you are making a single-crust pie such as a cream pie or lemon meringue and need to bake it before filling, here's what you do:

    • roll the crust for each pie
    • place the single crust in a pie pan and flute the edges
    • use the tines of a fork to create very small holes all over the crust
    • bake at 425° for 10-15 minutes
    • cool and fill with whatever pie filling you have prepared

    More Dessert Recipes

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      Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies
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      15 Best Apple & Pumpkin Desserts
    • A slice of vanilla cheesecake on a plate with a fork and a lemon in the background.
      Baked Vanilla Cheesecake
    • A slice of pumpkin pie on a plate with a fork.
      Pumpkin Pie with Sweetened Condensed Milk

    If you baked Perfect Pie Crust or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below.

    Recipe

    Baked pie crust

    Perfect Pie Crust

    I've been making pies since I was a kid, but this recipe for pie crust is the best I've ever found. It's flaky, light and delicious. No need to chill the dough after you mix it, just roll it out between two sheets of waxed paper and a dusting of flour. Best yet, it makes enough for 4 or 5 pies. In the mood for another dessert? How about cheesecake? Baked Vanilla Cheesecake is a family favorite!
    5 from 29 votes
    Print Rate Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 5 pie crusts
    Calories: 930kcal
    Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler

    Ingredients 

    • ½ cup water
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
    • 4 cups flour
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ cup shortening

    Instructions

    Combine

    • Combine water, egg and vinegar in a small bowl or glass measuring cup and set aside.
    • Mix the flour, sugar, salt and shortening until crumbly using either a fork or a pastry blender. Add the liquid from bowl or measuring cup and mix until moistened.

    Assemble Crusts

    • Divide dough into five equal portions (or 4 portions if you are making deep dish or larger sized pies) and roll out between two sheets of waxed paper with a light dusting of flour between each layer.
    • Assemble pies and bake following the directions for each recipe.
    • If making a double crust pie, use a sharp knife and place about six slices in the top crust to allow the steam to release during cooking, then brush the top crust with a little milk and sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of sugar. Bake for about 30 minutes, check after 15 minutes to be sure the crust isn't browning too fast. If it is, cover with foil until the pie starts bubbling from the steam vents in the crust. Some pie fillings will take longer than 30 minutes so be sure to keep an eye on the pie to ensure the crust doesn't burn.
      Please Note: The nutritional information below reflects data for one ENTIRE, single layer of pie crust.

    Notes

    These pie crusts are freezer-friendly. Once you divide the dough into four or five portions, pat them into flat rounds and wrap them in wax paper. Place each rolled portion in a zipped freezer bag, write the date on the bag and freeze until you're ready to make pies. The crust defrosts in the fridge, it takes about 8 hours. Use a single pie crust to make a delicious Pumpkin Pie with Sweetened Condensed Milk. 
    Calories: 930kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 11gFat: 63gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 483mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 48IUCalcium: 20mgIron: 5mg

    Please note, the nutrition details are estimated using a food database, so they’re just a rough estimate not an exact science.

    Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment below or @crinkledcookbook on Instagram, snap a photo and tag it #crinkledcookbook

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    Comments

      5 from 29 votes (28 ratings without comment)

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    1. Kristen says

      July 18, 2023 at 7:07 pm

      5 stars
      I have looked for a pie crust recipe that tastes as good as my fillings for years. I love this recipe! I have a tale of two pies to share— a sweet version and a savory version with a small change.

      My first pie was your old fashioned strawberry rhubarb pie recipe. It was exactly like my grandma used to make and it was ah-mazing!!!!! I held fidelity to this crust recipe. I used high quality butter as my shortening and followed instructions as written. I had a hard time working with the dough. It was fragile/dryish and there was no way I could ever make a lattice with it. My pies came out fabulous!!! (I made two, one as a taste test and the second to bring to a 4th of July party if I was happy with the test pie). I felt bad for all the other desserts because my pie was hands down the star of the dessert table. And everyone loved the crust! The brush of milk with the sprinkle of sugar on the top was perfect. It was the first time I wanted to eat pie crust and not just the filling!

      Second pie was tonight’s dinner. My son asked for my chicken pot pie. I decided to use this recipe again instead of a store bought. I had an idea. When we make bacon, I strain the rendered fat through a mesh sieve into a mason jar and store in the fridge. I used 1-cup of my high quality Irish butter and a half cup of the bacon fat for my pie dough. The resulting dough was less crumbly and easier to work with. I assembled my pie and brushed the crust with a little milk and baked at 375 for an hour. It was delicious! I mean sooooooo good!!!! Flaky, tender, flavorful crust. The bacon fat wasn’t even really a flavor, it was just enough to bring some savory depth.

      Thank you! I can finally make my traditional pies with confidence!

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        July 20, 2023 at 5:40 pm

        Thanks for the five star rating Kristen! That's great to hear that you used the pie crust with good results for both sweet and savory recipes. Wonderful!!

        Reply

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