While I love desserts of all types, if I were forced to choose between cake and pie, I’m going for the latter. Why? I love pie crust. When done properly, it is buttery, flaky perfection and takes whatever filling it holds to new heights. However, making a good pie crust is not an easy feat without proper technique. Aside from carefully following a recipe from a trusted source, here are seven pie crust tips every baker should know.
(I’m referring to traditional rolled pie crusts here, but if you’re looking for something simpler, try this press-in cookie crust instead.)
1
Keep the dough ingredients cool
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The key to standard pie crust is having pockets of fat surrounded by flour. But if that fat starts to melt and mixes with the flour, it can start to develop gluten, which can lead to a tough crust. To prevent this, keep everything as cold as possible. Some bakers go so far as to put ingredients and equipment in the fridge or freezer before making pie crust. This is certainly an option, but freezing the butter or other fat can actually make things more difficult for you if you’re just using your fingers, as it will be too stiff to break into small pieces. If you have them — or want to make the investment — food processors or pastry cutters are great for limiting how much you have to touch the dough with your warm hands. But even without such equipment, as long as you work quickly, you should be good to go.
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Tough pie crusts are typically the result of working the dough too much (again, gluten). You don’t need to make sure it’s a perfectly uniform ball. “As long as the dough is mostly holding together, you don’t need to spend a lot of time kneading it,” Susan Reid wrote for King Arthur Baking.
3
Hydrate the dough (but not too much)
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Following the point above about the dough not needing to be perfectly smooth and holding together, be careful about how much liquid you add when making your pie crust. If it’s not holding together at all, you can add more liquid (typically ice water) one tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together when you squeeze it with your hand. Too much liquid also can develop too much gluten.
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While not completely necessary all the time, it’s usually a good idea to put the pie dough in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes before rolling it out. The main reason I do so is to keep the fat from melting, particularly if you’re working in a warm kitchen. Also, if you worked the dough more than you should have, a rest period allows any gluten that may have developed to relax, which should make the pie crust easier to roll out. And while you can keep the pie dough in the fridge for longer than 30 minutes (up to two days), it will be too cold at that point and you’ll need to let it sit on the counter at room temperature to let it soften before rolling it out.
5
Keep the dough from sticking
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To prevent the dough from sticking to the counter when rolling it out, large sheets of parchment paper are a great solution, but I’ve encountered them only in professional kitchens. For home bakers, an easy alternative is simply to dust everything — the counter, the dough itself and the rolling pin — with as much flour as needed. If it starts to stick at any point, simply add flour. You don’t really need to be concerned about adding too much at this point, because you can brush off any excess.
This easy peach crumble pie recipe has a press-in crust
6
Roll the dough out evenly
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Pie crust with an even thickness is important so that the pie has the proper structure and is evenly cooked. Any good pie crust recipe should tell you to rotate the dough as you’re rolling it out, but I also like to flip it over once or twice during the process for extra insurance. (This is also an easy way to tell when you need to add flour to prevent it from sticking.) And when rolling, roll from the center out (it’s easier to exert even pressure this way instead of trying to roll across the entire diameter of the dough) and don’t roll the pin over the edge (as this can cause it to get too thin).
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I’ve already talked about letting the pie dough relax in the fridge, but this time I’m talking to you. Yes, we’d all love to make picture-perfect pies, but don’t stress yourself out too much about perfection. You can easily fix any tears or rips by pinching the dough together or filling it in with extra bits of dough. Regardless of how the pie looks, it should still taste great because, at the end of the day, any pie is better than no pie.
FAQs
Cold butter is the key to flaky crusts. Do not skip this step. You must put your butter in the freezer to get it nice and cold. Many people do not like working with frozen butter, but it makes all the difference in the world when you create your pie dough.
What are the six ways to ensure a tender flaky pie crust? ›
10 Tips for Making Perfect Pie Crust
- Use Very Cold Butter or Fat. ...
- Retain Some Chunks. ...
- Limit the Water. ...
- Make a Disk. ...
- Chill the Dough. ...
- Roll the Dough, Turn the Dough. ...
- Think Curbs, Not Driveways. ...
- Let the Dough Fall Into the Pan.
Cold butter is the key to flaky crusts. Do not skip this step. You must put your butter in the freezer to get it nice and cold. Many people do not like working with frozen butter, but it makes all the difference in the world when you create your pie dough.
How do you achieve a tender and flaky pastry dough crust? ›
The process of making a flaky pastry involves “cutting” one quarter of the total fat into the flour such as a pie dough till it forms what resembles coarse meal. Proper incorporation of the fat, in this step, provides flour lubrication and restricts or at least delays its quick absorption of added water.
How does a flaky tender pastry result? ›
Flakiness is achieved when there are discernable lumps of cold fat remaining in the final dough. In a hot oven, the dough sets quickly around these cold bits of fat. The bits of fat then melt, leaving holes and creating flaky layers.
How do you keep the bottom of a pie crust flaky? ›
Sprinkle dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes, or other types of cereal, on the bottom crust before filling and baking in the oven.
What causes a pie crust to not be flaky? ›
In pie crust, you don't want gluten to form so you don't want to mix too much and overwork the dough. For a flaky crust, cut the butter so that chunks of butter about the size of walnut halves remain. The chunks of cold butter create the layers in the dough.
Why add apple cider vinegar to pie crust? ›
The acid in the apple cider vinegar tenderizes the dough by slowing the gluten production in the dough. This prevents it from getting tough and elastic like bread dough. Love me tender. If you've ever bitten into a slice of pie with a tough crust, you know the value in a tender, flaky pie crust.
Does butter or shortening make a flakier crust? ›
Butter for flakiness and flavor, and shortening for its high melting point and ability to help the crust hold shape. You can use butter-flavor shortening if desired. If you want to skip the shortening, feel free to try this all-butter pie crust instead.
How long should you chill pie dough before rolling out? ›
Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to overnight. Tip: Chilling hardens the fat in the dough, which will help the crust maintain its structure as it bakes. And the short rest before rolling relaxes the dough's gluten, helping prevent a tough crust.
Fat makes pastry tender because it inhibits or holds back the development of gluten in the flour. Fat helps the flakiness because it separates the layers of gluten.
What is one thing you should not do when making pie crust? ›
A: First, don't just reach for more flour—too much extra flour will make the crust tough, and won't treat the real problem, which is that your butter is too soft. I recently read in Weller's cookbook A Good Bake that it should take no more than one to two minutes to roll out a pie crust.
Why is my flaky pastry not flaky? ›
Problem: Your Pastry is Hard and Tough
You've added too much water to the flour but not enough fat. It is important to keep the pastry cool during rolling and the oven needs to be hot.
How does a pie crust get its flaky texture? ›
Super-flaky pie crust: the technique
Classic puff dough gets its flaky layers through a series of “turns:” a slab of butter is enveloped in dough, then the whole is rolled, folded, and turned multiple times, each turn resulting in more layers.
What makes a homemade pie crust tough? ›
Keep the dough ingredients cool
But if that fat starts to melt and mixes with the flour, it can start to develop gluten, which can lead to a tough crust. To prevent this, keep everything as cold as possible. Some bakers go so far as to put ingredients and equipment in the fridge or freezer before making pie crust.
What 2 ingredients affect both flakiness and tenderness of a plain pastry? ›
Some bakers use both butter and shortening to capture the best qualities of each, but I prefer to use all butter because of its better taste. Fats contribute to the flakiness and tenderness of pastry by being layered in between sheets of thin dough.
What is a guideline for producing pastry that is tender and flaky? ›
Keeping the butter cold also helps when making short crust pastry because it doesn't melt into the flour when you are working it in. With puff, cold butter provides the vital barrier and air pockets between the pastry that translates in eating terms into delicious flakiness.
What methods can be used to ensure that the crusts of soft pies are fully baked without overcooking the fillings? ›
Blind baking the crust until it's half-baked helps the crust stay firm. With an unbaked filling, like with a French silk pie, blind baking just makes sure the crust is fully baked before you add the filling. But don't worry — you shouldn't have to guess very often.
