Pie Crust (shortcrust pastry) Recipe

This can be a shortcrust pastry recipe that’s good to make use of for candy and savoury pies and tarts. Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie to the good Aussie Meat Pie!

There’s no magic ingredient on this pie crust recipe, it has the identical substances as 99% of different recipes on the market. Nevertheless it’s introduced neatly, simple to comply with, and it’s easy in the event you simply comply with the recipe steps incorporating all my little small-but-important suggestions! 🙂

That is my “go-to” pie crust that I exploit for all issues candy corresponding to Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Pie, in addition to savoury pies corresponding to the good Aussie Meat Pie. It’s buttery and flaky, it’s tender sufficient to chop via with little effort with a fork but doesn’t disintegrate into crumbs when reducing slices of pie. No one needs that piece of pie with no pie crust! 😩

It’s made with simply butter, no shortening. Which can instantly deter some people who find themselves loyal to pie crusts made with shortening – however earlier than you run away, let me say this:

Sure, shortening yields a really flaky pastry – however it’s tasteless. And a properly made pastry utilizing butter is actually flaky sufficient – however extra importantly, tastes so significantly better. Even doing 50/50 of every lacks flavour.

So all-butter it’s. And at all times will likely be!

Right here’s all you want:

• Very chilly butter – your purpose is to finish up with tiny little bits of butter within the dough relatively than melted or creamed butter blended via the dough. The little bits of butter soften within the oven and create air pockets which makes the pastry flaky.

• Very chilly water – for a similar cause as above

• Flour, salt and if making pastry for a candy filling, sugar.

I really feel like I’ve paid my dues over time, making pie crust dough by hand – both rubbing the butter in with the ideas of fingers or utilizing a pastry cutter. These days, I go for the straightforward, foolproof, 1 minute methodology utilizing a meals processor.

1. Pulse flour, sugar and salt twice simply to mix, then scatter butter over;

2. Chickpea dimension butter – Pulse 5 occasions till the most important butter bits are chickpea dimension;

3. Ice chilly water – With the motor working on low, drizzle 2.5 tbsp of water in.

4. Crumbly dough – after 10 seconds, it ought to look crumbly however while you pinch it collectively, it ought to stick and type a dough. Crumble = good = results in flaky pastry. If it stays sandy, add one other 1/2 tbsp chilly water and blitz once more;

5. Tip out crumbly dough on work floor;

6. Carry collectively together with your palms – no kneading. Crumbly dough will stick collectively!

7. Pat into disc form;

8. Refrigerate – Wrap with cling wrap and refrigerate. This makes the teeny tiny butter bits chilly once more = flaky pastry.

OK, so perhaps that takes you 90 seconds. Or 2 minutes. It’s nonetheless tremendous duper quick!

You’ll discover this dough is fairly simple to work with as a result of it’s not insanely brief, like pastries utilized by excessive finish patisserie cooks. (Rule of thumb: increased butter to flour ratio = extra crumbly wealthy pastry = indulgent = pastry very onerous to work with = let’s go away that to the professionals).

So right here’s how you can roll pie crust dough out:

1. Begin rolling out – Place chilled disc on floured work floor and roll out right into a circle. Shift dough round / flip as you roll it out to make sure it’s not sticking to work floor – whether it is, slide to the facet, sprinkle extra flour on the work floor then proceed. Sprinkle the highest of the pastry and the rolling pin if wanted (typically it does, typically it doesn’t);

2. Roll out BIG – Roll out right into a circle 10cm / 4″ bigger than the pie dish. Sounds massive – however it is advisable to match it into the pie dish and need at the very least 1.25cm / 1/2″ extra across the rim.  Patch cracks as you go – simply pinch a bit off scraggly edges;

3. Roll onto rolling pin – Gently roll the dough onto the rolling pin. Use a big knife if wanted to get the sting began;

4. Switch to pie tin – Roll the pastry utterly onto the rolling pin, then switch to the pie tin;

5. Unroll over pie tin then slide the pastry round as wanted so it’s centred;

6. Drape into pie tin, don’t stretch and pull – this causes shrinkage;

7. Trim edges – This step depends upon the pie you’re making. In case you are making a pie with no lid, like a Pumpkin Pie or Pecan Pie, trim the sides leaving 1.25cm / 1/2″ extra. If making a pie with a lid, like an Aussie Meat Pie, then trim the sides to align with the sting of the pie tin (ie no extra).

8. For no lid pies, tuck overhang beneath for neat edges. You do not want to do that if making a pie with a lid like an Aussie Meat Pie (which has a puff pastry lid).

There’s a great deal of methods to embellish a pie crust edge. You actually can get artistic! Right here’s one basic solution to do it – massive crimps.

In case you do adorn the pie crust edge, it’s greatest to refrigerate for 20 minutes previous to baking simply to re-chill the butter within the dough (as a result of crimping takes additional time throughout which that butter is softening!).

PRO TIP: Thicker pie crust on edge = crimps keep form higher when baked. Skinny pastry = floppage.

EASY TIP: Skip the crimp, simply press a fork on the rim to get good imprints all the way in which round.

As soon as the pie tin is lined with the dough, it is advisable to resolve whether or not you need / must bake or not. Listed here are your decisions:

1. Blind bake – Park bake the unfilled pie crust to stop a soggy base as soon as crammed.

2. Absolutely bake – If the pie crust will likely be crammed with a no bake filling corresponding to Chocolate Cream Pie.

3. No bake – Once you fill the raw pie crust then bake.

Blind baking

Do you must blind bake? No, it’s optionally available. This pie crust gained’t go soggy even in the event you don’t blind bake so long as the entire bake time is 40 minutes or extra (which depends upon the filling you utilize). I personally don’t know of any pies that require lower than 40 minutes bake time – however I’ve added that as a cautionary be aware having noticed this as soon as throughout a interval of intense pie making (don’t ask😂).

Absolutely baked pie crust

In case you are making a pie that has both a no-bake filling (like a Chocolate Cream Pie) or a filling that solely must be baked for half-hour or much less, then the pie crust must be absolutely baked. It is because one the pie is crammed, the bottom doesn’t cook dinner via correctly whether it is within the oven for lower than half-hour.

Observe these par baking steps if you’re making a pie that must be baked for 40 minutes or longer as soon as crammed. If the pie you’re making is not going to be baked as soon as crammed, or baked for half-hour or much less, then the pie crust ought to be absolutely baked – see subsequent part.

1. Prick the bottom with a fork to assist cease it from effervescent up;

2. Place massive sheet of parchment / baking paper over the pie tin;

3. Place one other piece over it to type 90 levels throughout the opposite one;

4. Fill pie tin with baking beads, dry rice or beans or sugar – this weighs the pastry right down to cease the bottom from effervescent up and the perimeters from sliding down;

5. Bake for quarter-hour at 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).;

6. Take away pie weights utilizing paper overhang. Watch out right here – no person needs sizzling beads bouncing all around the kitchen!!

7. Return to oven for simply 5 minutes to “set” the bottom;

8. Take away from oven and voila! Prepared to your favorite filling! This explicit crust was crammed with Pecan Pie Filling.

And right here’s a detailed up have a look at this shortcrust pastry used for the bottom of the good Aussie Meat Pie. The lid of Meat Pies is puff pastry.

I hope you discovered this to be a concise however full submit on how you can make pie crust. It’s onerous to get motivated to doc not to mention movie a pie crust when there’s so many different visually thrilling meals to movie!! However lastly I’ve buckled down and completed it.

Now from hereon, I can concentrate on the enjoyable half – the FILLINGS!! – Johnsat x

Pie Crust (shortcrust pastry) Recipe

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Serves: 8 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 173 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups flour (plain / all purpose flour)
• 2 tsp white sugar (skip if making savoury pie)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 115g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter , cold, cut into 1cm/ 1/3" cubes (Note 1)
• 2 1/2 tbsp ice cold water (+ more as required)

Instructions

1. Pulse Dry: Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Pulse twice to combine.
2. Cut in butter: Scatter butter across surface. Pulse 5 times until the largest pieces are the size of chickpeas.
3. Add chilled water: With the motor running on low, pour 2.5 tbsp of water into the tube feeder.
4. Form crumbs: Keep blitzing for 10 seconds until crumbs form (also see video). Pinch between fingers – they should stick and form a dough.
5. HAND option: Whisk flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Rub butter into flour with tips of fingers until it resembles crumbs – it should look the same as using a food processor. Then mix in cold water with rubber spatula, then proceed with steps below.
6. Form disc: Tip crumbs out onto work surface, bring together into dome (don't knead), pat into 2cm/ 4/5" thick disc.
7. Chill: Wrap in clingwrap then refrigerate 1 hour (up to 2 days, otherwise freeze).
8. Dust with flour: Sprinkle work surface with flour, unwrap dough and place on the flour. Sprinkle top with flour, dust rolling pin with flour.
9. Roll out: Roll out into round that's 10cm/4" larger than 22.5cm/9" pie tin. Patch up and roll over cracks as necessary
10. Transfer to pie dish: Gently roll the pastry so it wraps around the rolling pin. Unroll it over the pie dish.
11. Drape pastry into pie tin (do not stretch/pull, causes shrinkage).
12. Trim: If making a pie with NO LID (like Pumpkin Pie), then trim edges with scissors leaving a 1 cm / 2/5" overhang. If making a pie with a lid (like a Meat Pie) then trim edges so they align with the edge of the pie tin (ie no excess overhang).
13. Tuck excess under, if appliable (ie per step above, if making a no lid pie). Then crimp or decorate edge as desired.
14. Refrigerate: Put pie crust in the freezer for 15 – 30 minutes (while oven heats up). This helps prevent shrinkage, firms up the butter again (flakiness!) and helps to ensure decorative crimped edges remain in tact.
15. Baking options (Note 4) – Blind bake the pie crust if it will be baked once filled (eg Meat Pie, Pumpkin Pie). Fully bake the pie crust if it will not be baked once filled.
16. Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
17. Line & weigh down: Place 2 large pieces of parchment/baking paper crosswise over the pastry, then fill with baking beads or lots of rice or dried beans to weigh it down. (Note 2)
18. Bake 1 covered: Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven.
19. Bake 2 uncovered: Use excess paper to CAREFULLY remove hot beads, then return to oven for 5 minutes or until base is light golden (doesn't need to be 100% cooked though).
20. Cool: Remove from oven. Cool 15 minutes in the pie tin before filling (another measure to avoid soggy base).
21. Follow directions per Blind Baking steps above BUT bake at 190°C/375°F (170°C fan) covered with baking beads for 25 minutes, then 15 minutes uncovered until golden. Fully cool before filling.
22. Fill and bake per directions of chosen pie filling – such as Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Meat Pie. The par baked pastry will not be 100% cooked, it finishes cooking with the filling. It's cooked enough so the crust will not go soggy.

Notes

1. Cold butter – key to flaky crumbly pie crusts is to end up with teeny tiny little bits of cold butter all through the pastry when it goes into the oven. The butter melts then creates air pockets which makes the pastry flaky.
Butter softens and melts as you work with it, which is why there are refrigeration steps and the recipe specifically calls for cold butter and cold water.
So if it’s warm where you are, and it takes you longer than 5 – 7 minutes to roll out the dough, press into tin, crimp edges and get it into the oven, refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes or so before baking.
2. Pie Weights stops base from puffing up and helps reduce pastry shrinkage.
3. Baking the pie crust (partial vs fully cooked) – If the pie will be filled and baked (for example, Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie) then follow the blind baking directions. The crust will be partially baked, enough to prevent the base going soggy. It will finish baking with the filling.
If the pie will be filled with something that will not be baked (like chocolate cream pie filling) then the crust needs to be fully baked. 
4. Different measures in different countries – The measures in this recipe work with both US and metric (rest of world!) measures.
5. Source – knowing me, it was probably originally sourced from New York Times, Cooks’ Illustrated or America’s Test Kitchen (that would be tyical of me) but it’s now written exactly how I do it and there’s every chance ingredients were marginally tweaked to what I think is the perfect balance!
6. Nutrition is for pie crust only, per serving (8 servings).

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Sarah Miller

Hi, I’m Sarah Millar!
I’m a food blogger who loves creating quick and easy recipes that bring big flavor without the fuss. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — and I’m here to share simple, fast food ideas that anyone can make at home. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll usually find me tasting new dishes, exploring cafés, or coming up with fresh food hacks to make everyday meals more fun.

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