How to Make a Flaky Pie Crust

Baking the perfect, flaky pie crust can seem intimidating, if not near-impossible. However, if you follow these simple steps and tips, you can accomplish a light, flaky crust every time. Yields enough dough for a double crust.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 4 to 6 tbsp. ice water
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Pastry cutter or knives
• Fork
• Waxed paper
• Rolling pin

Preparing the Pie Crust

1. Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry cutter, knives, or fork until crumbly.
2. Add water gradually, tossing with fork until dough forms a ball.
3. Divide dough in half. One ball should be slightly larger than the other.
4. Lightly flour four sheets of waxed paper.
5. Roll larger ball of dough (top crust) between two of the waxed paper sheets until large enough to fit a 9- or 10-inch pie plate.
6. Roll smaller ball of dough (top crust) between remaining two sheets of waxed paper.
7. Refrigerate both sheets of crust for 20 minutes, or freeze for 5 minutes.

Using the Pie Crust

8. Remove sheets of crust from the refrigerator.
9. Remove bottom sheet of waxed paper from bottom crust. Lay crust into pie plate and gently remove top sheet of paper.
10. Press crust to fit pie plate, removing air bubbles. Pierce bottom several times with fork. Trim excess from edges.
11. Fill crust with filling of choice.
12. Remove bottom sheet of waxed paper from top crust. Drape crust over the filled pie and gently remove top sheet of paper.
13. Pinch edges of bottom and top crust together. Slice steam vents into top crust.
14. Bake pie according to directions and enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

• To keep the crust flaky, mix and handle the dough as little as possible.
• Keep the dough as cold as possible before baking.
• Measure accurately. Too much flour or water makes the pastry tough (not flaky) and too much shortening makes the pastry crumbly.