Description
Homemade pie crust delivers flaky, buttery perfection with simple ingredients and expert techniques. Crisp pastry edges and delicate texture promise delightful baking adventures you’ll savor with each delicious slice.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups (397 grams) shortening
Binding Ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) ice water
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) apple cider vinegar
Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 tablespoon (12.5 grams) sugar
Instructions
- Gather all-purpose flour, sugar, and shortening in a spacious mixing bowl, creating a foundation for the delicate pie crust.
- Utilize a pastry cutter or fork to methodically blend the dry ingredients, transforming them into a texture reminiscent of coarse, crumbly gravel.
- In a separate container, whisk the large egg vigorously until thoroughly beaten and uniform in consistency.
- Incorporate of ice-cold water into the beaten egg, stirring until the liquid mixture becomes completely integrated.
- Gently cascade the egg and water combination over the flour mixture, using a fork to delicately combine the ingredients until a soft, cohesive dough begins to form.
- With clean hands, carefully consolidate the dough into a compact, smooth ball, ensuring all components are evenly distributed.
- Encase the dough tightly in plastic wrap, creating a secure seal that prevents moisture loss and helps maintain its structure.
- Transfer the wrapped dough to the refrigerator, allowing it to rest and chill for precisely 15 minutes, which relaxes the gluten and enhances the crust’s rollability and texture.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is crucial for achieving a flaky, tender pie crust that’s easy to roll out and work with.
- Cold ingredients, especially ice-cold water and chilled shortening, help prevent gluten development and create a more delicate pastry texture.
- Avoid overmixing the dough, as this can make the crust tough and dense instead of light and crispy.
- Use a pastry cutter or fork to blend ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs, which helps create those signature flaky layers.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out and to help it rest and relax before rolling.
- For best results, chill the dough for at least 15 minutes (or up to overnight) to allow the fats to solidify and the gluten to relax.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 388 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 3 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 27 mg