Short Pie Crust Dough Recipes

EASY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place all ingredients in 9 inch pie pan. Stir together with fork. Pat mixture into bottom and up the sides of the pan. Poke holes in bottom and side of crust.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown. Use as directed in favorite pie recipe.

PIE CRUST (SHORTCRUST PASTRY)

Steps:

• Pulse Dry: Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Pulse twice to combine.
• Cut in butter: Scatter butter across surface. Pulse 5 times until the largest pieces are the size of chickpeas.
• Add chilled water: With the motor running on low, pour 2.5 tbsp of water into the tube feeder.
• Form crumbs: Keep blitzing for 10 seconds until crumbs form (also see video). Pinch between fingers - they should stick and form a dough.
• HAND option: Whisk flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Rub butter into flour with tips of fingers until it resembles crumbs - it should look the same as using a food processor. Then mix in cold water with rubber spatula, then proceed with steps below.
• Form disc: Tip crumbs out onto work surface, bring together into dome (don't knead), pat into 2cm/ 4/5" thick disc.
• Chill: Wrap in clingwrap then refrigerate 1 hour (up to 2 days, otherwise freeze).
• Dust with flour: Sprinkle work surface with flour, unwrap dough and place on the flour. Sprinkle top with flour, dust rolling pin with flour.
• Roll out: Roll out into round that's 10cm/4" larger than 22.5cm/9" pie tin. Patch up and roll over cracks as necessary
• Transfer to pie dish: Gently roll the pastry so it wraps around the rolling pin. Unroll it over the pie dish.
• Drape pastry into pie tin (do not stretch/pull, causes shrinkage).
• Trim: If making a pie with NO LID (like Pumpkin Pie), then trim edges with scissors leaving a 1 cm / 2/5" overhang. If making a pie with a lid (like a Meat Pie) then trim edges so they align with the edge of the pie tin (ie no excess overhang).
• Tuck excess under, if appliable (ie per step above, if making a no lid pie). Then crimp or decorate edge as desired.
• Refrigerate: Put pie crust in the freezer for 15 - 30 minutes (while oven heats up). This helps prevent shrinkage, firms up the butter again (flakiness!) and helps to ensure decorative crimped edges remain in tact.
• Baking options (Note 4) - Blind bake the pie crust if it will be baked once filled (eg Meat Pie, Pumpkin Pie). Fully bake the pie crust if it will not be baked once filled.
• Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
• Line & weigh down: Place 2 large pieces of parchment/baking paper crosswise over the pastry, then fill with baking beads or lots of rice or dried beans to weigh it down. (Note 2)
• Bake 1 covered: Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven.
• Bake 2 uncovered: Use excess paper to CAREFULLY remove hot beads, then return to oven for 5 minutes or until base is light golden (doesn't need to be 100% cooked though).
• Cool: Remove from oven. Cool 15 minutes in the pie tin before filling (another measure to avoid soggy base).
• Follow directions per Blind Baking steps above BUT bake at 190°C/375°F (170°C fan) covered with baking beads for 25 minutes, then 15 minutes uncovered until golden. Fully cool before filling.
• Fill and bake per directions of chosen pie filling - such as Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Meat Pie. The par baked pastry will not be 100% cooked, it finishes cooking with the filling. It's cooked enough so the crust will not go soggy.

EASY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• To make the dough for the pie crust, mix 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Cut 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add 4 tablespoons ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more tablespoons). Do not overwork.
• Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• To form the pie shell, roll the dough on a floured surface into a 14-inch round. Wrap around rolling pin and carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate.
• Fit gently into bottom and side of plate. Use kitchen shears to trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and seal to form a rim.
• Crimp rim with fingertips and knuckle. Repeat with remaining dough; wrap each with plastic, stack, and freeze.

BRITISH SHORTCRUST PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Combine flour, butter, and shortening using a food processor until crumbly. Mix in water 1 tablespoon at at time until dough is soft and pliable.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap; let rest in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using.

EASY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt; cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle with vinegar. Gradually add the milk, tossing with a fork until a ball is formed. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle. , For a single crust, roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Fill or bake shell according to recipe directions., For a double crust, divide pastry in two portions so that one ball is slightly larger than the other. Roll out larger ball on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry even with edge of plate. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top. Bake according to recipe directions.

QUICK PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Place flour and salt in a bowl. Mix.
• Measure oil and milk in a measuring cup. Stir slightly with a fork.
• Add to flour mixture.
• Roll out between sheets of waxed paper.

SHORT PIE CRUST DOUGH

Steps:

• Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, scraping the bowl once or twice while mixing. Add the egg yolk, orange zest, and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until blended. Scrape the bowl and add the flour and salt, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated. When the dough resembles a stiff sugar dough, scrape it out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Form the dough into a disk and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• To roll out the dough, unwrap it and use the plastic wrap as the bottom surface. Place another large sheet of plastic on top of the dough. Roll the dough from the center into a 12-inch circle, flipping it (including the plastic) once or twice while rolling. With each flip, lift the plastic wrap from the surface of the dough to let the dough stretch, and then lay it back on the dough. When finished, lift the top piece of plastic off the dough. Invert the dough, holding it from the underside with the remaining plastic, into a 9-inch pie pan. Gently press the dough to mold it to the shape of the pan. Peel the plastic wrap off the dough.
• Trim the edges, leaving 1/2 inch of dough overhanging. Fold the overhang under and crimp the edges to form a decorative rim. Chill until ready to use, up to 2 days.

SHORTBREAD PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the butter and sugar and blend to make a paste.
• Add the yolk and blend thoroughly. Add the flour and using your fingers, blend to make a crumbly dough, being careful not to overwork.
• Pat firmly into a 9-inch pie pan and let rest in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Remove from the refrigerator and prick the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. Place a sheet of parchment or foil in the pie tin and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
• Bake the crust in a pre-heated 400ºF. oven for 10 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until light golden brown.

BASIC SHORT-CRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Put flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor. Add butter and quickly cut it into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add ice water and mix briefly, about 30 seconds, to form a soft dough. Remove dough, shape into a thick disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Bring to cool room temperature before rolling.
• To roll, lightly flour dough and counter. Roll out gradually, periodically letting dough rest for a moment before continuing. This makes rolling easier and will keep dough from shrinking back during baking.
• Roll dough to a thin round approximately 13 inches in diameter, then trim to make a 12-inch circle (refrigerate and save trimmings for patching). Lay dough loosely into a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom, letting it relax a bit. Fold overlap back inside to make a double thickness, then press firmly against the pan so the finished edge is slightly higher than the pan. Refrigerate or freeze for an hour before pre-baking.

BASIC SHORT CRUST PASTRY DOUGH

Steps:

• Pour the flour into a mound on a countertop. Add salt and sugar; toss well. Work butter into flour with fingertips until it forms pea-sized lumps. Add the water, 2 tablespoons at a time, tossing with your fingers, until dough is crumbly and just starting to come together. You may not need all the water.
• Form dough into a mound, then use the heel of your hand to push the dough away from you, flattening out lumps. Repeat.
• Shape into two equal disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• To Form 2 Crust Pie:.
• Place one disk of dough on a floured pastry board; roll into a circle 1/8-inch thick.
• Fold circle of dough gently into quarters and transfer to an ungreased 9-inch tart pan.
• Unfold and gently push dough into pan. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Place second disk of dough on a floured pastry board; roll into a circle 1/8-inch thick. This will be your top crust.
• Cut small decorative holes in center of top crust to vent, then carefully transfer to flour-dusted cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate crusts at least 1 hour or until needed.

SHORTCUT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the cubed butter and blitz until the flour mixture has a sandy texture with some pea-size butter bits.
• Add the egg yolks and blitz then pulse just until the pastry begins to come together.
• Tip the pastry out onto a rectangle of plastic wrap. Using your hands, form it into a 6-inch log. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. If using frozen dough, allow to soften slightly in the fridge for an hour before using.
• Using the large holes on a box grater, grate 3/4 of the chilled pastry directly into your pie dish or tart pan. Working quickly by hand, press the grated pastry into the dish, starting with the sides then covering the bottom, grating more of the chilled pastry into the dish as needed to cover evenly. Pay attention to the seam between the sides and the base, making sure it is the same thickness as the rest of the pastry: The crust should form an even layer that is about 1/4-inch thick. (Save any leftover pastry for another use.) Chill, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. (This can be done ahead.)
• The crust can take various routes from here; refer to whichever pie or tart recipe you're using for guidance. If blind-baking this crust, it cooks best at 350 degrees.