Master Pie Crust
There is a bit of delicious science in this crust, and it comes from the use of shortening and butter.
The body comes from the shortening, while the texture and some flavor come from the butter.
After the contest judging, (see the story at the $25,000 Apple Pie recipe) one of the judges, an Austrian pastry chef, told me,
The pie was excellent, but the crust was incredible. Very nice work.
— Austrian pastry chef · contest judges' table
I took that kind gesture to the bank as well.
Obviously, this crust can be used for any pie, not just my $25,000 apple pie. Use it as a single crust or a two-crust. For pot pies or sweet pies.
The Magic of Butter
You'll see that I use butter as well as shortening in this crust. Why? Well, butter contains water and when the crust is baking the water turns to steam and guess what happens? Flaky crust! The water makes pockets of steam and the shortening gives it texture. It must be magic!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup vegetable shortening, chilled
- 9 tablespoons butter, chilled
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup ice water
Instructions
Cube butter into 1/4 or 3/8 inch pieces. Place in small bowl and refrigerate.
Measure one 1/2 cup of vegetable shortening and refrigerate.
Mix salt in ice water and keep chilled in refrigerator.
In a food processor combine flour and sugar. Pulse two or three times to mix well.
Add butter to processor and pulse several times. Add shortening and pulse until the mixture looks coarse and pale yellow.
Place mixture into a large bowl and add three tablespoons of ice water. Knead the dough and water mixture until a loose ball forms. Add water one tablespoon at a time until mixture comes together. Be careful not to over knead as this will make a less flaky crust.
Form pastry into a ball with your hands and divide into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Press into small disks on a sheet of wax paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Roll disks out on floured wax paper until the pastry is about 12 inches round and about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to pie pan. Fill with fruit and add top crust. Cut vents to allow steam to escape.
Tools That Help
Two small upgrades that quietly raise the whole game.
Links below are Amazon affiliate links. We earn a small commission if you buy through them — at no extra cost to you.
Nordic Ware Pie Pan
9-inch classic
A good pie deserves a good pan. The Nordic Ware Naturals is heavyweight aluminum — heats evenly, releases cleanly, and lasts a couple of decades without fuss.
Shop on AmazonMicroplane Coarse Grater
The frozen-butter trick
The shortcut to a flakier crust: grate frozen butter straight into your flour. A coarse Microplane gives you exactly the right size shards — and a quick workout for your arm. Worth both.
Shop on AmazonMake the Pie That Won
The crust from this story belongs to a $25,000 apple pie. The recipe — every step of it — is yours.
Read the Recipe