Old Fashioned Shortening Pie Dough Recipes

BEST EVER PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half, and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
• Roll out dough on a floured counter. Don't over work it. Use as directed in pie recipe.

GRANDMA'S PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. With a pastry blender cut in shortening till pea-sized.
• Sprinkle water on one tablespoon at a time tossing with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side. Mix till all flour is moistened. Don't mix too much or the crust will be hard.
• Form into a ball and roll out on the floured surface. Turn and flour the dough a few times till it's the size you need.

OLD-FASHIONED SHORTENING PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar (if using), and salt in a large bowl; refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Add the shortening to the dry ingredients and toss it with your hands to coat, then break it up into smaller pieces. Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the pieces of fat are roughly the size of small peas and everything looks like it has been touched by the fat. There should be no dry, floury areas.
• Mound the ingredients in the center of the bowl. Drizzle about half of the water down the sides of the bowl, turning the bowl as you pour so the water doesn't end up in one spot. Using a large fork, lightly mix the dough, tossing it from the perimeter toward the center of the bowl. Drizzle most of the remaining water here and there over the dough and toss again.
• Mix the dough vigorously now. The dough should start to gather in large clumps, but if it is dry in places, stir in the rest of the water.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pack it into a ball, then knead it several times to smooth it out. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it into a ¾-inch-thick disk. Wrap the disk and refrigerate for about 1 hour before rolling.

ORIGINAL CRISCO PIE CRUST RECIPE FROM THE 1940S

Steps:

• 1. Mix up the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Remove 1/4 cup and put that in a small bowl.
• 2. Cut the Crisco into the flour/salt mixture until it resembles fine crumbs.
• 3. Make a paste of the ice water and the reserved flour/salt mixture. Stir it well with a fork until it is smooth.
• 4. Using a rubber/silicone spatula, scrape the paste onto the flour/salt/Crisco mixture. Mix with a fork, and then gently with your clean hands. Refrigerate for about an hour.
• 5. Dust your work surface with flour. Pat the dough into an evenly thick round, then use a rolling pin and beginning at the center roll outward, turn the dough a quarter turn, roll out again and repeat. Roll evenly until the dough is about 11" in diameter.
• 6. Roll the dough up onto the rolling pin and lay gently into a 9" pie pan. Press gently into the bottom and sides of the pan, allow about a 1" overhang. Turn under the overhang and flute the edges. Using the tines of the fork, prick the bottom and sides of the dough. This helps keep the dough from shrinking while baking. Refrigerate the crust for one hour before baking. This helps give it a flaky texture when baked. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

OLD FASHIONED FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Whisk flour with salt in a bowl; use a fork to stir in vegetable oil. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, before adding more water. Gather dough into a ball, divide in half, and roll out on a floured work surface.

NO FAIL PIE CRUST I

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• Mix egg, water, and vinegar together in a separate bowl. Pour into flour all at once and blend with a fork until dough forms into a ball. Divide into 3 equal-sized rounds.
• Wrap with plastic and chill in a refrigerator until ready to prepare.