Pastry Pie Crust

Press-in Pastry Pie Crust in a food processor

For two deep dish pie crusts: 

• 4 cups all purpose flour (480g)
• 2 teaspoon salt (11g)
• 2/3 cup crisco shortening, cold (143g)
• 2/3 cup butter, diced, cold (143g)
• 12-14 Tablespoons water, cold 
• Savory Cheddar variety add 4-5 oz aged cheddar cheese, grated

Alternate single crust:

150g / 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

2g / ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

113g / ½ cup (4 ounces) cold unsalted

butter, cut into ½ inch/1 cm cubes

60g / ¼ cup ice cold water, plus more

as needed

Hungry for Home single:

All-purpose flour: 150g

Salt: 3g

Sugar: 6g

Cold butter: 84g

Shortening: 48g

Ice water: 22–30g

Prep Ingredients and Equipment:

1. In a small bowl, measure or weigh the flour and salt, sift together.
2. If you are making these ahead and wanting to freeze, lay out two rectangular pieces of plastic wrap to store your prepared dough later. Place one piece of plastic wrap on your kitchen scale. Measure or weigh the shortening and butter (I used half-and-half of each), then loosely bundle the plastic wrap around the fats and place in the freezer to chill. You’ll reuse this piece once you’ve added the fats to the recipe.
3. While the fats are chilling, set up your food processor and prepare a measuring cup of water with a tablespoon measurement nearby. Also lay out a dough cutter. If you’re wanting to use the dough right away, lay out your pie plate. The dough may need to chill in the fridge about 30 minutes to firm up before able to easily press out.

Make the Dough:

1. Spoon the flour and salt mixture into the food processor.
2. Add the chilled fats, distributing them evenly over the flour.
3. Pulse ten times, using short 1-second pulses, until the mixture looks crumbly and the fat is broken into small pieces. Lay the plastic wrap (from the freezer) back out flat on your work surface so it’s ready to receive the dough mixture.
4. While pulsing the food processor, slowly add water 1 tablespoon at a time through the feed tube, add about 9-10 tablespoons or until the dough begins to come together, looks slightly moist, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Avoid overmixing.
5. Dump the dough mixture onto one piece of plastic wrap. Gently press and mound it together, then divide in half. Wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap, shaping into discs—each should weigh approximately 380 grams. The dough is now ready to be frozen or chilled until ready to use.

*If you want to use this for a two crust pie, you can make a cut or press out top. First, make the bottom crust and press it into your pan. Next, spread out a second crust, either taking a pinch of dough at a time between your fingers and making a thin cobblestone layer or rolling out the dough on a lightly floured surface and using a cookie cutter to cut shapes to arrange on top of your filling.

Sourdough Press-in Pastry Pie Crust in a food processor

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (156g)
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
• 1/2 cup sourdough discard, cold (110g)
• 2-4 Tablespoons water, cold

Use the same process as above. Creates a 435g disc. 

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Original Recipe

For a single 8 inch pie crust: 

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (180g)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup crisco shortening, cold (95g)
• 5-7 Tablespoons water, cold

For a single 9-10 inch double pie crust:

• 2 cups all purpose flour (240g)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup crisco shortening, cold (143g)
• 5-7 Tablespoons water, cold

Sift together flour and salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until pieces are the size of small peas .(To make pastry extra tender and flaky cut in half the shortening until mixture looks like cornmeal and then cut in the remaining until it looks like small peas.)

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water over a section of the flour -shortening mixture. Gently toss with fork; push to one side of the bowl. Sprinkle next tablespoon of water over dry part; toss lightly, push to moisten side of the bowl. Repeat until all is moistened. Gather up with fingers; form a ball. (For two pie crusts, divide dough and form into two balls.)

On a lightly floured surface, flatten ball slightly and roll to 1/8 inch thickness. If edges split, pinch together. Always roll spoke fashion, going from center to edge of dough using light strokes.

To transfer pastry, roll it over rolling pin; unroll pastry over pie plate, fitting loosely onto bottom and sides.

To bake single pie crust: 

Trim 1/2 to 1 inch beyond edge, fold under and flute.

To par-bake: prick bottom and sides with a fork. Bake at 450° until pastry is golden, 10 to 12 minutes. 

To blind bake: prick bottom of crust, line with parchment and weights; bake at 350° for 20 minutes, then remove parchment and weights; bake 10 minutes longer until lightly golden.)

To Par-Bake the Dough

• Par-Baking is partially bake the crust, before filling and baking again - best for any and all single crust pies like pumpkin, pecan, or cherry.

• Dock the crimped single crust pie dough with a fork and chill well (at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour).

• Cut a square of parchment paper slightly larger than the diameter of a pie plate, and press it into the base of the pie plate. Fill with pie weights to the top inner rim of the pie plate.

• Bake in a 425°F oven until the edges begin to lightly brown, 15-17 minutes.

• Remove the parchment paper and pie weights, and return to the oven until the lower portion of the crust appears dry and set, 2-3 minutes more. Cool completely before filling. 

To Blind-Bake the Dough

*1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell, pressed into nook of pie plate, tuck pie crust edge under itself  and anchor to top lip of pie plate, then flute and press firmly against lip of pie plate, freeze overnight, no need for blind baking. 

• Blind baking is fully baking the crust, prior to filling with a filling that doesn’t require baking - best for cream and cold-set pies like coconut cream or lemon meringue.

• Follow the instructions for par-baking, but bake until it is fully golden brown. After removing the pie weights, bake for 5-7 minutes. Cool completely before filling.

If filling and piecrust are to be baked together, do not prick pastry. Pour in filling and bake pie as directed in recipe. 

Wrap any extra dough in aluminum foil or several sheets of waxed paper and refrigerate until needed. Alternatively, use pastry shapes for cutouts and bake in oven for decoration.

To make double crust pie:

Fit the lower crust in pie plate. Slash the upper crust with your own design. Trim lower crust even with rim of pie plate, moisten the edge. Add top crust, trim half inch beyond edge, tuck it under the edge of the lower crust, to seal in juice. Crimp edge. Bake as directed in a pie recipe you are using.