| |

Pie Crust: Cooking 101

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, please visit my disclosure page.

I am back with another Cooking 101 tutorial, this time for Pie Crust: Cooking 101! I have a love hate relationship with pie crust, as most people do. This is the best recipe that I have found that works every time…..

gray pie plate with raw pie crust and perfect pie crust overlay

Cassi is actually the one that found it in her Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America cookbook. Once upon a time, Princess Cassi wanted to be a pastry chef. While we were visiting Napa, CA, we went to the CIA and I purchased this book for her…..and got her information on enrolling in their school when she was finished with high school. Little Miss Frugal did not see the value in a $100,000 education, that will qualify you for a minimum wage job upon graduation. The dream may have changed, but the cookbook is a keeper!

This is Cassi’s French Apple Pie that she made for the Fourth of July…..

French Apple Pie cookingwithcurls.com

Not too shabby for her first pie! She made her pie with the left over dough that I had from making my Chocolate Cream Pie…..

Chocolate Cream Pie | cookingwithcurls.com

This recipe is enough to make a double-crust 9-inch pie, or two single crust pies…..like we did! Cassi recently made another Lattice Top Apple Pie so we could get pictures of it, and it was just as gorgeous as the first one she made!

Flaky pastry surrounds this delicious Lattice Top Apple Pie

This is also the crust for my Turkey Sausage Rolls that I make whenever appetizers are needed…..

Sausage Rolls cookingwithcurls.com

And these cute Pie Crust Spoons…..

rainbow colored sprinkle covered pie crust spoon sticking out of a bowl of chocolate pudding with whipped cream and additional spoons in a metal pail up in the right hand corner

How to make the Perfect Pie Crust: Cooking 101

It’s up to you which way you prefer to make your Pie Crust, in a food processor or by hand.

Place flour, salt and butter into the bowl of a food processor, or in a bowl and use a pastry cutter…..

Pie Crust butter | COPYRIGHT © 2017 COOKING WITH CURLS

Pulse/mix ingredients until they resemble a coarse meal…..

Pie Crust pulse | COPYRIGHT © 2017 COOKING WITH CURLS

Drizzle the cold water a Tablespoon at a time over the mixture. Continue to pulse to combine until mixture holds together. It should be evenly moist, but not wet.

Pie Crust water | COPYRIGHT © 2017 COOKING WITH CURLS

Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface. Divide into two balls, set one aside. Pat each ball down into a disk, wrap well with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes…..

Pie Crust wrap | COPYRIGHT © 2017 COOKING WITH CURLS

Place dough on well floured work surface, or place between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to 1/8th inch thickness. Roll into desired size needed for your recipe. A bottom crust for a 9-inch pie is about 13-inches in diameter. Roll the top crust out to a 9-inch diameter circle.

Pie Crust roll | COPYRIGHT © 2017 COOKING WITH CURLS

Fill and bake according to recipe directions.

Pie Crust in gray pie plate

Notes:

  • The most important part to remember is the cold butter, cold water, and to chill before using.
  • Handle the dough as little as possible. Overworking the dough is for making bread {to develop the gluten}, not tender pie crust.

Enjoy!!

gray pie plate with raw pie crust and perfect pie crust overlay

Pie Crust

Pie Crust: Cooking 101 - A tried and true Pie Crust recipe that has never let me down yet! Complete recipe and step-by-step image tutorial included.
5 from 4 votes
Print Rate
Course: Dessert, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: flour, butter, water, pie, crust, recipe, easy, perfect
Chilling Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 9 Servings
Calories: 315kcal
Author: Lisa Johnson

Ingredients

  • 2 ⅔ cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter cold (cut into pieces)
  • ½ cup ice water or as needed

Instructions

  • Place flour, salt and butter into the bowl of a food processor. (or in a bowl and use a pastry cutter)
  • Pulse ingredients until they resemble a coarse meal.
  • Drizzle the cold water a Tablespoon at a time over the mixture. Continue to pulse to combine until mixture holds together. It should be evenly moist, but not wet.
  • Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface. Divide into two balls, set one aside. Pat each ball down into a disk, wrap well with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
  • Place dough on well floured work surface, or place between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to 1/8th inch thickness. Roll into desired size needed for your recipe. A bottom crust for a 9-inch pie is about 13-inches in diameter. Roll the top crust out to a 9-inch diameter circle.
  • Fill and bake according to recipe directions.

Notes

  • The most important part to remember is the cold butter, cold water, and to chill before using.
  • Handle the dough as little as possible.  Overworking the dough is for making bread {to develop the gluten}, not tender pie crust.

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 262mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1.7mg

Similar Posts

16 Comments

  1. I like how frugal Cassie is! Hope my kids end up like that! I easily get intimidated by piecrust, but am usually so happy to try a homemade recipe instead of buying a crust. Great post Lisa.

  2. I’ve GOT to get me a real food processor. I have one of those crappy little mini ones and I want a real one!! And I also want that sausage roll recipe!

    -andi

  3. I must confess that I usually use premade pie crusts, but when I want to make it from scratch I’ll be coming to this recipe for sure! Your daughter is a talented baker just like her mama. I can’t believe that was her first pie! Thanks for linking up at Saturday Night Fever, Lisa 🙂

  4. Thank you! I really needed a tutorial especially with Thanksgiving coming up. Thanks for sharing on the weekend re-Treat link party!

    Britni @ Play. Party. Pin.

  5. Pie crust has to be one of my least favorite things to make …. they taste good, but look like crap! Ha! Pinned and stumbled this one, Lisa!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating