Whole Wheat Pie Crust Recipes

BASIC 100% WHOLE WHEAT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Mix 3/4 cup flour, gluten, and salt together in a bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture using a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Mix 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water into the flour mixture using your hands until dough easily forms a ball; add more water if needed.
• Flatten dough into a pancake-like shape on a floured surface; sprinkle top of dough liberally with about 1 tablespoon flour. Roll dough, using a rolling pin, into a thin pie crust about 1-inch larger than your pie pan. Roll the crust onto the rolling pin and transfer to the pie pan.

WHOLE WHEAT MEDITERRANEAN PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle or a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flours and salt and mix together. If using a bowl, make a well in the center, add the olive oil and mix in with a fork. If using a mixer or food processor, turn on and add the olive oil. When it is evenly distributed through the flour combine the water and vinegar or lemon juice and add it to the flour mixture with the machine running. The dough should come together in a ball.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, flour your hands and work the dough just until smooth and easy to shape into a ball. Do not overwork it or you will develop the gluten in the flour and the dough will be tough. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a ball and press into a 1/2-inch thick circle. Wrap in plastic and let rest for 1 hour.
• Roll out the dough as needed for savory tarts, dusting your work surface and the top of the dough with flour to prevent it from sticking. Pre-bake and bake as directed in recipes calling for the crust.

WHOLE WHEAT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Measure flours, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder into a bowl; stir together. Cut in shortening with 2 knives until a coarse meal forms. Sprinkle water over mixture. Stir with a spoon until a ball begins to form.
• Divide dough into 2 pieces. Roll out into rounds between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Transfer to two 9-inch pie plates.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

EASY WHOLE WHEAT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Place flour, sugar, salt, sugar, and shortening in large tupperware or other plastic container with lid. (If all else fails, use a really strong large slide lock plastic bag). Seal tightly.
• Shake 3 minutes. Open & make sure mixture is uniform.
• Add water.
• Shake 3 more minutes & open to see if mixture is large dough ball of uniform consistency.
• Roll out on floured surface. Can be frozen for later use.

WHOLE-WHEAT PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Place butter in the bowl of a standing mixer. Sift together flours and salt and add to mixer. Mix at low speed just until the mixture is well combined. Add water and beat at low speed just until mixture comes together. Do not overmix or you will activate the gluten in the flour too much and your pastry will be tough.
• Using a pastry scraper or a rubber spatula, scrape dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Weigh it and divide into 2 equal pieces. Place each piece onto a large sheet of plastic, fold plastic over and flatten into 1/2-inch thick squares. Double wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
• Very lightly butter two 9-inch tart pans. (If you can see butter you've used too much.) Roll out dough and line tart pans. Using a fork, pierce rows of holes in the bottom, about an inch apart. This will allow steam to escape and aid in even baking. Refrigerate uncovered for several hours or preferably overnight. (If using only 1 pastry shell, double wrap the other in plastic, then in foil, and freeze.)
• To prebake, heat oven to 325 degrees. Unwrap tart shell and place on a sheet pan or baking sheet. Line the dough with a sheet of parchment. Fill all the way with pie weights (you can also use beans or rice). Place on the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment and return pastry to oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until light brown and evenly colored. There should be no evidence of moisture in dough. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

WHOLE-WHEAT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Standard method (by hand): In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt with a table fork. Taste it for salt. If you feel you need a little more, now is the time to add it. Dump the coconut oil into the middle of it and, before you do anything else, fill the cup you used for the coconut oil half way with ice, then add water until it is almost full. You want to give enough time for the water to get ice cold.
• Still using the same fork, cut the coconut oil into the flour mixture until it is in almost microscopic pieces. You want them to be very small and well integrated into the flour. At this point, pour just a couple of tablespoons of water into the flour mixture. Working quickly and lightly with the same fork, gently mix the water into just the section of the dough that the water hit when it went into the bowl. Add a couple of more tablespoons of water (just estimate with your eyes) in to another section of the flour mixture in the bowl and quickly mix it inches You may need to add more water to your ice in your cup.
• At this point, the dough may be trying to hold together a bit, and that's a good thing. Continue to work little bits of water in until the dough just starts to hold together fairly well when you press it with your hands.
• If you have a food processor, the process is even easier: Instead of mixing in a bowl, put the flour and salt into your processor with the blades attached and pulse to combine them. Unplug, then taste for salt (you don't want to whack your fingers off!). Now add in the coconut oil and fill the cup it was in with ice and water. While the water chills, pulse the coconut into the flour mixture until you can't see any chunks anymore. Adding just a tablespoon or two at a time, pulse the water into the flour mixture. When it just begins to hold together, you are ready to shape it.
• At this point, regardless of the mixing method, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, keeping the water nearby. Roll the dough out, aiming for a round-ish shape. Be prepared- it is probably going to crumble a bit. That is what the remaining water is for. Use the cold water as glue to hold pieces of dough together and continue flouring (to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin) and rolling until the dough is the thickness and size you want for your pie plate. You don't want to over-roll, as handling it too much will toughen it, but do roll it wide enough for about an inch of hangover on the sides once it is in the pan.
• Gently fold the dough around the rolling pin and use it to transfer the dough to the pie plate. Carefully press the dough into the bottom of the plate and shape the edge of your crust however you want (I usually roll mine under and pinch it to seal and make a pretty edge). It's probably not going to look picture-perfect, but this is the sign of a homemade crust.
• Continue on with whichever your recipe you are making. This works as well for a quiche or pot pie as it does for a dessert pie.
• If you have leftover pie crust, roll it out again and cut it into short strips (shape does not matter). Sprinkle with cane sugar and cinnamon and bake in the oven at 375 for 8-10 minutes, or until light brown. If you have small children this is a great time to give them your already dusty cutting board and rolling pin, along with some cookie cutters and whatever else you trust them with, and let them make their own "pie crust cookies". You don't need to worry about them nibbling dough, as there is nothing in this that will really hurt them. (Although they may not be hungry for dinner.) My kids used to have a lot of fun doing this! I would always bake their creations and let them have them as a special treat.