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
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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
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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
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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).
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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
The pie dough isn't given enough time to relax and chill
The pie crust could have a firm or tough texture if you bake your pie before resting your dough. Giving your dough time to rest will allow all the ingredients to chill, help the moisture distribute more evenly throughout the dough, and make it easier to roll out.
What is the secret of flaky crust? ›
- PRO TIP #1 Your Butter MUST Be Cold. Cold butter is the key to flaky crusts. ...
- PRO TIP #2 Your Liquid MUST Be Iced And Cold. ...
- PRO TIP #3 Blind Bake Pie Shells BEFORE Filling Them For Cooked Pies. ...
- PRO TIP #4 DO NOT Overwork Your Dough. ...
- PRO TIP #5 Chill Your Dough BEFORE Rolling it.
The pie dough isn't given enough time to relax and chill
The pie crust could have a firm or tough texture if you bake your pie before resting your dough. Giving your dough time to rest will allow all the ingredients to chill, help the moisture distribute more evenly throughout the dough, and make it easier to roll out.
What is the secret to a good 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.
We prefer unbleached pastry flour, such as King Arthur. If you prefer, you can substitute cake flour for the pastry flour. The pastry or cake flour keeps the pastry dough tender, and the vinegar strengthens the gluten and adds elasticity.
How do you achieve a tender and flaky dough crust? ›
7 pie crust tips for tender, flaky results every time
- 1Keep the dough ingredients cool.
- 2Use a light touch.
- 3Hydrate the dough (but not too much)
- 4Chill the dough.
- 5Keep the dough from sticking.
- 6Roll the dough out evenly.
- 7Relax.
The Pie Crust Takeaways
This time, though, there was one very clear victor. Butter made a tastier, flakier, sturdier crust by far. This isn't to say that shortening and lard aren't useful ingredients.
What is one thing you should not do when making pie crust? ›
In pie crust, you don't want gluten to form so you don't want to mix too much and overwork the dough. For a flaky crust, cut the butter so that chunks of butter about the size of walnut halves remain. The chunks of cold butter create the layers in the dough.
Why does vinegar make pie crust flaky? ›
One ingredient that you can add to a pie crust that is a little more unusual is vinegar. Vinegar helps tenderize pie dough because it slightly inhibits gluten development, leading to a crust that is flakier and easier to work with.
Does oil makes pie crust mealy and tender rather than flaky and tender? ›
The cons: Using oil creates a mealy, breakable dough that is more difficult to roll out and transfer into a pie pan. The resulting crust will be crumbly and tender, and not as flaky as crusts made other fats.
The most important rule when making pie crust is to keep your ingredients as cold as possible. This includes using cold butter, shortening, and ice-cold water. This ensures a perfectly flaky crust because the butter remains in solid form in the dough and then evaporates into the layers of dough while baking.
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 are 3 characteristics of a good pie crust? ›
Traditionally, what you're looking for in a pie crust are three basic things: you want it to be fully cooked through, without any doughiness between the filling and the bottom crust, you want the crust to be light and flaky with discernible layers, and, of course, you want there to be a rich, buttery flavor.
What are two disadvantages of using all butter in pie crust? ›
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using butter in a pie crust? Advantages : excellent flavor and forms distinct flaky layers. Disadvantages: Expensive and butter melts easy bettween 82.5 and 96.8 degrees F. It takes more time to make pastry because it must be refrigerated.
Why is my pie crust so flaky? ›
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 is the science behind flaky pastry? ›
The beauty of puff pastry is the glorious rise and air pockets that give it that light and flaky texture. The rise comes from layers of fat sandwiched between layers of dough. In the oven, the butter melts and releases moisture, which evaporates, causing air pockets in between the now buttery layers of pastry.
What causes 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.
Which fat is best to use to make a flaky crust? ›
Vegetable Shortening
As shortening is able to withstand higher temperatures and does not melt easily, it creates flaky and crisp yet tender pie crusts when used alone or in combination with butter.
