I’ll just admit a few things. I’m not Amish. I don’t especially like to make pies. Why? Too many times, pie crust recipes turn into either gooey or rock-hard shells. This recipe, Flaky Not-Amish Pie Crust, is easy to work with and produces a flaky crust each time. Versions of this recipe are floating around the www, but this is my tweaked rendition. Vegetable shortening allows the flour to be thoroughly coated in a fat, while butter provides pockets for flaky-goodness to form in the bake. And why vinegar? Well, it discourages gluten formation in the pie crust. Gluten is great in bread, but not in pie crust!
I’ve made this recipe countless times and it’s consistent every single pie. We don’t particularly like a thick pie crust in our house, so I roll this crust out to about 1/4 to 1/8-inch thick. This recipe makes enough dough to roll out four 9-inch single pie crusts or two double pie crusts.
PrintFlaky Not-Amish Pie Crust
Fool-proof for almost any pie-baker, this recipe produces flaky, pie crusts. Make as pre-baked pie shells or fill and bake!
- Yield: Four 9-inch Pie Crusts, or Two Double Pie Crusts 1x
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1–1/2 tsp. salt (preferably small grained)
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 large egg, beaten
1 tbsp. vinegar
1/2 cup water
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, two knives or your hands, blend vegetable shortening and unsalted butter into flour. Shortening and butter should be the size of peas when cut in.
In a small bowl, combine egg, vinegar, and water. Add to flour mixture. Mix until combined. Dough will most likely be sticky, but if not that’s okay. Dump mixture onto plastic wrap and form into a covered dough ball. Place into refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This will allow the flour particles to absorb the liquids in the dough.
Roll dough out on a floured board with a floured rolling pin to about 1/4 to 1/8-inch thickness. If using with a cooked filling, bake according to the recipe’s directions.
If making a pre-baked crust, roll crust out and transfer to a pie pan. Crimp edges and line shell with aluminum foil. Weigh down foil with beans, rice or pie weights. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes or until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool before filling.
Notes
Dough can be frozen after mixing. It lasts in the freezer, tightly wrapped, for up to three months. To use, allow to thaw in the refrigerator until soft enough to roll. Use as per recipe.
IMNPB
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