I’ve used this old fashioned recipe for pie crust for many years. It’s easy and forgiving. The vinegar and eggs both add their own attributes to the crust, mainly tenderness and flakiness. And this crust is very tender and flaky!

This recipe made three single crusts for an 8″ pie long ago. Now we have 9 and 10 inch pie dishes. In which case you will have to use the dough differently or make more. You can get a single crust for an 8.5″ pie and then have enough for a double crust pie which is 9″ in diameter.

What I do show you is an extremely easy way to make a nice looking edge on a pie (the fluting). See the video below for a demonstration.

I don’t give any recipes for fillings in this post and baking temperature and timing for pies is variable depending upon the type you bake.

You can also make roly polys with this dough ( my children love these) which is when you roll out the dough and then sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar. Then roll it up and cut thin slices and lay flat like cinnamon rolls, only they are cinnamon pastries (almost like a cookie). Have fun and comment below if you like this recipe or have tried it before.

AuthorTeresa

Rating

The Dry Ingredients

545 g All Purpose FlourAbout 4 cups

12 g White sugar1 Tablespoon

11 g Salt2 teaspoons

Wet Ingredients

126 g Icy cold water1/2 cup

1 Large egg54 grams or one large egg

13 g White or apple cider vinegarOne Tablespoon

Fat

334 g Cold ShorteningEquals 1.75 cups ( I use half butter = 198 grams of butter and 167 grams of shortening)) Or 400 grams of all butter

Coarse crystal sugar for top of crust

Egg Wash

1 Egg

1 tsp Heavy cream or milk

1 tsp water

Add dry ingredients together and mix thoroughly.

Add wet ingredients to a second small bowl and whip together well. Set aside.

Make sure your shortening/butter is very cold and cut it into chunks (about 1/2 inch or so).

Add the cold chunks to your dry ingredient bowl.

Using a pastry cutter or your hands, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter/shortening is has pieces about the size of large peas. Make sure you don't cut it in so much that the larger pieces disappear.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredient/shortening.

Using a fork, toss the wet and dry ingredients together until it forms largish lumps. There will still be dry ingredients in the bowl, but a minimum amount.

Sprinkle your work surface with a dusting of flour (lightly)and then dump out the crumbly pie dough. Then follow the video posted below.

When your pie crust is shaped. Either fill a one crust pie and bake, make a blind crust and bake or make a two crust pie and bake. Baking times and temperature vary depending upon the type of pie. (Standard baking temps are around 425F/218C for pies).

I like to chill the pie before baking for about an hour. Then to use the egg wash. Mix the water, egg and cream together in a small bowl and whisk thoroughly. Brush over the top of your pie crust (for a double pie crust pie) and then sprinkle with coarse sugar crystals before baking.

Follow video posted below for technique.

Old Fashioned Pie Crust

CategoryDesserts and Sweet Baked Goods

Ingredients