How to make the perfect pie crust

Pie crust

Drooling over that crispy crust of the perfect pie your friend made yesterday? And you have never been able to get the crust right? Pie making is not as difficult as it looks, if you do it the right way. Get the crust right, and half your battle is won. Follow these simple steps and make the perfect pie crust:

Complexity level

Moderately easy

Time taken

1 hour

Resources required

1. Flour

2. Baking powder

3. Salt

4. Sugar

5. Butter

6. Vegetable oil or shortening

7. Water

8. Filling of your choice (prepare beforehand)

9. Oven for baking

10. Pie plate

11. Rolling pin

12. Other baking instruments

Procedure

1. Preparing the dough

Collect all the dry ingredients and fat in a bowl. Use a food processor or mix the ingredients with your hand. Slowly add ice cold water and keep mixing until the dough begins to clump.

2. Prepare the base

Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and chill it for about 30 minutes. There are two methods in which the base can be prepared.

a. Flour the surface you are working on and place your ball of dough in the centre.

b. Gently, working from the centre and applying uniform pressure, roll out the dough with your rolling pin.

c. If you have a history of pie-making blunders, try the parchment style of rolling.

d. Place the chilled dough on a sheet of lightly floured parchment paper.

e. Pound the dough with a rolling pin till it is 6 inches in diameter.

f. Flour the dough and place the second parchment paper on the top and start rolling out the dough with a rolling pin, applying equal pressure throughout.

g. Remove the top parchment and flip the base into the dish, peeling off the other parchment.

3. Set it in the pie plate

Gently fold the base into half and centre it in the pie plate and unfold it. You can also wrap it around the rolling pin and place it in the plate. Place the top layer over the filling in the same manner if you are making a double crust pie.

4. Crimping the crust

Crimping the crust is what gives a pie that distinct look. Pinch the edges with your thumb and index finger. You can also use a fork for the same effect.

5. Baking

Bake the pie for about 20 to 40 minutes at 425 F. Keep checking to avoid burning.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Question. How to prevent the pie edges from burning?

Answer. Pie edges tend to burn before the rest of the pie is done. Fold a long sheet of foil into a strip, about 3 inches in width and at least 36 inches in length. Wrap this strip around the tray and clip the ends together to make a rim. Let the strip stand 2 inches above the crimped pie surface to prevent the edges from burning.

2. Question. How to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin?

Answer. Keep dusting the dough with flour and rotate it to make sure it is not sticking to the surface of the rolling pin.

3. Question. How to make the pie base flaky?

Answer. Using cold butter and cold water ensures that the pastry is flaky.

4. Question. How to prevent the pie base from being tough?

Answer. Avoid using too much flour and keep the dough handling to the minimum.

5. Question. How to prevent the pie base from being soggy?

Answer. Coat the base with melted butter and refrigerate it for an hour before filling it with the filling. Bake on the bottommost oven shelf at 425 F for the first 15 minutes and at 450 F for the next 10 minutes.

Quick tips

1. Avoid over mixing to keep your crust tender and soft.

2. The trick to a crispy crust is to use cold water and cold butter.

3. Make sure your filling is not too wet.

4. Keep the handling to the minimum.

Things to watch out for

The circumference of the base should be at least 2 to 3 inches bigger than that of the pie plate.

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