This homemade pie crust recipe from scratch is easy to work with and very flaky. Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time, and toss with a fork after each addition.
Pie pastry dough is the easiest and most versatile of all doughs and is made completely with shortening. The ingredients are mixed as quickly as possible.
You can also make it in a food processor. For a slightly sweeter pastry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of white sugar to the flour.
Best Homemade Pie Crust Recipe
This homemade pie crust recipe can be used for any pie, quiche, pasty and anything else you can think of. The best I’ve tasted has to be Ina Garten’s recipe from the Food Network. You’ll agree after the first bite.
For a no-bake pie (such as my favorite, fresh strawberry), bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. For a pie which isn’t as sweet, I would also recommend adding 1 tablespoon of sugar to the flour.
This homemade pie crust recipes makes two 9″ pie crusts – make sure all ingredients are very cold.
THE PERFECT HOMEMADE PIE CRUST RECIPE
1/3 cup vegetable shortening (very cold)
12 TBS very cold unsalted butter
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice cold water
Mix shortening, butter, flour, and salt together with a fork or a pastry blender until very crumbly. Add as much water as needed to hold together, and mix lightly with a fork.
Roll gently on a floured pastry cloth to about an inch larger than pie plate. Fold carefully in half, lift to pie plate, and unfold. Press into pan.
For a single-crust pie, trim with a small knife to about 1/2 inch beyond rim. Fold up, and pinch so edge of pie is raised from rim.
For a two-crust pie, trim bottom crust to edge of rim, fill, and top with crust about 1/2 inch larger than rim. Tuck top crust under bottom along rim. Seal with floured fork.
Here’s another homemade pie crust recipe that will have you doing “flips.” Makes a double crust. Use it with Southern Pecan Pie recipe.
WALNUT PIE CRUST
1/2 cup walnut pieces
2/3 cup white sugar
2 cups flour
2/3 cup unsalted butter, very cold
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Put the walnut pieces in a blender or food processor. Add about half of the white sugar and finely grind this mixture.
Sift the flour onto the work surface and ad the ground walnut/sugar mixture. Make a large well in the center of the ingredients. Using a rolling pin, pound the butter to soften it slightly.
Put the egg, the remaining sugar, butter, salt and cinnamon into the well. Work the ingredients with your fingertips until they are all thoroughly mixed together. You may also do this in a bowl with a pastry cutter if you do not have a pastry scraper. Whatever you feel comfortable with.
Draw in the flour with a pastry scraper, then work the flour into the other ingredients with your fingers until coarse crumbs form. Press into a ball. It should be quite soft, but if it is too sticky, add a little more flour.
Sprinkle the work surface lightly (sparingly) with flour. Blend the dough by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand. Gather up the dough and continue to blend in this manner until it is very smooth and peels away from the work surface in one piece. This usually takes 1 to 2 minutes. Shape into a smooth ball, wrap tightly and chill until firm; approximately 1 hour.
Brush the pie plate or tart pan with melted butter. Again, lightly (sparingly) dust the work surface with flour. Roll out 2/3 of the chilled dough into a 11 inch round circle. Re-wrap and return the unrolled dough to the refrigerator.
Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and gently drape it over the pie plate (or tart pan). Lift the dough with one hand and press it into the bottom of the pan with the other hand. Overlap the dough slightly inside the rim of the pan, so extra dough is left at the edge.
To remove the excess dough after placing it in the pie plate, roll a rolling pin over the top of the pan, pressing down to cut off the excess dough. Add the trimming to the reserved portion of the dough and return to the refrigerator.
When filled you then you roll out the remaining dough into a 10 inch round circle. At this point you may cut out a 2 inch round opening (a small glass works) in the center of the crust to allow steam to escape. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin; draping it over the filled crust.
With a small knife, trim the top round even with the filled pastry shell, using the pan as a guide. Press the dough edges together with the tip of a fork to seal the top and the bottom of the pastry shell.
Brush the top with water and sprinkle with sugar. Chill the pie until firm; approximately 15 minutes. Heat the oven and bake that pie. Now keep this homemade pie crust recipe under your hat…
MORE HOMEMADE PIE CRUST RECIPES
This following recipe makes 5 pie crusts. You can roll them out or keep in balls before freezing them. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week. To make a shell without filling, prick well with a fork and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
GREAT PASTRY RECIPE
1 lb lard (old-fashioned recipe)
5 cups flour
1 TBS salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 TBS white vinegar
Cut together lard and sifted dry ingredients. Beat egg slightly, add vinegar and water to make one cup. Blend with flour mixture using your hands. Roll out for pies.
NO-ROLL PIE CRUST RECIPE
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 TBS cold milk
PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees.
Sift dry ingredients into pan plate. Combine oil, milk and add all at once to the dry ingredients. Mix well and use fingers to press mixture on bottom and sides of the pie pan.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes after piercing crust all over with a fork.
NEVER-FAIL PIE CRUST
1-1/4 cups shortening
3 cups flour
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
5 TBS cold water
Blend salt with flour. Combine the beaten egg with the water and vinegar. Add to the flour and mix lightly. Roll out.
Here’s a wonderful homemade pie crust recipe – be sure to try it.
FRENCH-STYLE PASTRY RECIPE
2 cups Wondra flour
1 stick very cold butter, diced
3 TBS vegetable shortening
Combine the ingredients in a mixer until fine as cornmeal.
Beat together:
1 egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white sugar
Add to flour and continue beating until mixture sticks to the blades. Chill at least two hours before rolling out.
COCONUT PIE CRUST
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Melt butter; add coconut and powdered sugar. Mix well and shape into pan using a spoon or your fingers. Bake (if desired) at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Fill with cream pie filling and top with meringue.