This Great Pie Crust recipe delivers a perfectly flaky, tender, and buttery crust ideal for pies or quiches. Using a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flours, shortening, cider vinegar, and an egg, the dough achieves a balanced texture that's both crisp and soft. The vinegar helps prevent gluten overdevelopment, resulting in a consistently delicate crust. It's versatile enough to complement sweet fruit pies or savory quiches, making it a reliable, go-to recipe for bakers of any skill level.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole wheat blend flour (part whole wheat, part unbleached white)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups vegetable shortening (Crisco or any firm shortening)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 egg (large )
- ½ cup cold water
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Dry Ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat blend flour, and salt.
Step 2: Cut in the Shortening
- Add vegetable shortening to the dry mixture.
- Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the shortening into the flour until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs.
Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cider vinegar, egg, and cold water.
Step 4: Combine Mixtures
- Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture.
- Stir gently until the dough comes together and is well-moistened.
Step 5: Chill the Dough
- Form the dough into a ball.
- Cover or wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Step 6: Roll & Shape the Crusts
- Divide the dough into three equal portions.
- Roll each portion out on a lightly floured surface until it fits your pie or quiche pan.
Step 7: Use or Store
- Place the crust into pie plates and proceed with your desired filling.
- Unused dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Tips
- Chill the dough thoroughly; cold dough makes a flakier crust.
- Use a pastry cutter or forks to cut shortening into flour until coarse crumbs form.
- Substitute part or all of the whole-wheat blend with white flour for a lighter crust.
- For extra tenderness, keep all ingredients (and bowl) as cold as possible.
- Blind-bake using parchment and pie weights to prevent puffing.
- Replace vegetable shortening partially with butter for added flavor.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar for a sweet pie crust.
- Freeze extra dough disks well-wrapped for up to 2 to 3 months.
- Roll dough from the center outward, rotating often to keep it round.
- Patch cracks with small dough scraps dampened with a bit of water.
Nutrition
Calories: 415kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 6gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1.5gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 160mgPotassium: 85mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 55IUCalcium: 14mgIron: 2.1mg
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