I still remember reading something in an old cookbook when I got serious about pie crusts. It advised people making pie crust by hand to work quickly. Good advice, since overworking the dough’s not wise. Then I was startled by the explanation that if you’re nervous and your palms are warm, the dough will get too warm.
Novice that I was, I still thought, WTH? If you (meaning whoever the book was addressing) are so nervous about making a crust that you’ve got sweaty palms, maybe you should just skip it and make a cake instead.
Some people talk back to the TV, I talk back to books.
So chill. And I also mean that literally. I chill every pie crust three times: after I mix it, after I’ve rolled it and lined the plate (that’s when I make the filling) and while the filled pie is waiting for the oven to preheat. Food science shows why it’s a good practice and a major factor in producing a flaky crust.
Using this recipe, I’ve taught people via email to make a good crust after years of believing they didn’t have what it takes. I stress the need for chilling and this is what I say: Don’t let the bits of shortening (fat) get too small when you blend it with the flour or you won’t get a flaky crust. Stop while it’s still shaggy. Don’t over-handle the dough once it’s wet or gluten will start to develop and do chill the dough a little after every step. Chilling’s essential. It helps the dough relax and to absorb water and it helps the fat to solidify. Then, when the chilled fat goes into the oven and starts to melt, it gives off some steam which puffs up the dough and creates the flakiness.
Perfectly Round Crusts
The only thing pre-fab crusts have over homemade is that they are perfectly round and make a neater, evenly-thick edge. One Christmas, after making cutout cookies, I moved on to pies and thought how great it would be to have a giant cutter for crusts. I was using a big, flat pan lid as a cutting guide and it dawned on me there are lipped lids. They’ll cut! 
Next time I was in Kmart I picked up a 12″ lipped lid for about five dollars. Even when the dough is so thin the board shows through, as it does here, it works. I’m sure I’m not the first person to think of this but I’m glad I did. One quick push and I eliminate the trimming of the crust in the pan and the potential to stretch it while I trim. Stretching and pulling, whether it’s pie or yeast dough, is not good. Stretch it in the kitchen, it’ll shrink in the oven.
Moving the Dough Into the Plate
This used to be the most stressful part of pie making for me. My mother, G-d rest her, had a gift for this — fold, unfold. I do not. Some recipes said to fold it in half, some in quarters; invariably, I tore the dough or punctured it with my nails or had to move it around so many times to get it centered I would stretch it. Finally, after seeing people simply roll it onto the pin and unroll it into the plate, I tried that and, as you see from the sepia photo, that’s the method I use. Like anything, practice helps but the learning curve is almost nothing.
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Hiya,
I have been MIA for the last little while (explanation on my blog). Just read your posts on pie crust – I really like how you have concentrated on this one important detail and the tips are helpful. I will try the chilling after each step the next time I make a pie crust.
And as for Crisco… don’t laugh too hard, but here in Geneva, it is a great challenge to get hold of. I found one store that has the real deal but were charging $10 a package…. no thanks! So some people ask their parents to bring gifts when they visit, I ask for things like crisco, baking powder, etc (customs must love this!!). I can find the equivalents in the grocery store but the recipes do not turn out as well.
Please drop by to say hi
Erika (Sweet Pea blog)
How cool~thanks for the tips! and that beef stew down there is SO calling my name! (((((HUGS))))) sandi
Hi erika! I’m glad the pie week posts are helpful for you. Crusts can be so intimidating.
Actually, I do know that Crisco is unavailable almost everywhere in Europe, but I thought the product generically called “vegetable lard” was fundamentally the same. If you don’t have any cholesterol issues, go for butter or butter mixed with lard. I believe (but I’m not sure) the lard available to you is fresher than the stuff that’s in our supermarkets.
In any case, I’ll stop by later and find out why you were MIA. Good to have you back! I’m still thinking about your cookies.
{{{{sandi}}}} — hello! You’re very welcome. And that stew tastes like it was a lot more work. What’s not to like about that, huh?
Hugs to ya!
can i make my pie crust early and leave if the refridgetor for a day or tow.
Hi, Gloria. You can keep pie crusts, well-wrapped in plastic wrap, in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you’re making your pie dough today, you could wrap it tightly and stick it in the freezer till Wednesday, then transfer it to the fridge to thaw. Always let pie dough thaw slowly in the fridge.
If you have plenty of freezer space, you could line the pie plate now and put the whole thing into one of those really large freezer bags and freeze it that way. You’d be a step ahead, but should still let it thaw in the refrigerator.
Thanks for the question and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi there in Nova Scotia-Canada lots of us use lard only for pie crust. Much flaker!
Rhondda, come bake with me.
Lard is the best. Bar none.
So many Americans are terrified of it, but it’s actually better for us than butter. I have a post here called Pie crust, Crisco and cholesterol (the link is at the top of this page) that goes into that.
Happy baking! Thanks for your comment.
I am just trying to make better pie crust from scratch. Need to find the Crisco, feel fatty but would love to try the results. I have read that do not rub in the flour and butter too fine until breadcrumbs. That’s not what I learnt in school days. So need to try to see the difference, am curious. I am on a quest of baking quiche recently. The first one came out well and now would want to try spinach quiche, our favorite!
Janet @Gourmet Traveller88´s last blog ..easy chinese steamed eggplant (aubergine)
Hi, Janet. Unless things have changed in recent years, Crisco’s almost impossible to find in Europe. However, some BBC recipes use what they generically call “vegetable lard” which is what Crisco is.
I’m not surprised you were taught to rub so small. The flaky pie crust prized here is an American tradition with roots in pate brisee. Many European pastry doughs have roots in pate sucree or even pate sablee and while they’re tender they’re not flaky. Can’t be.
Quiche is a good project. I do have a recipe for one here but –wait for it– it’s crustless!