Help, my pie crust breaks up in pieces

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Junie

Assistant Cook
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
15
hi my pie crust I made broke up in pieces everytime I tried to flatten it out with the roller. I kept making it a ball again and it still did the same thing. I made it out of crisco with butter flaver and ice water. I followed the directions. why do they say to put it in the refrigerator it just makes it harder to flatten out later. Will somebody please help tell me how to do it the right way. thanks Junie :cool:
 
Let it warm up a bit before you start rolling. You might also need a little more water. A dough recipe is just a guide. If your house is really dry, you'll need more water.
 
Let it warm up a bit before you start rolling. You might also need a little more water. A dough recipe is just a guide. If your house is really dry, you'll need more water.

+1

Look in your private messages. I'll give you a site where making pie crust is explained in detail.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Sounds like your dough is too dry and cold. Also flour is control by the climate both inside and outside. If it is warm out, it can make your flour drier than normal. The same goes for inside your home. :angel:
 
thank you JMediger, Chief Longwind Of The North & Addie. I appreciate your help. I am learning a lot here. thanks to you. :cool::cool::cool:
 
I agree. It sound like the dough is a bit dry. Letting it rest in the refrigerator allows all the ingredients to equalize in moisture. You do need to let the dough warm up a bit before attempting to roll it out. Sometimes it helps to pound it out flatter with a wooden pin before attempting to roll it if I'm in a hurry.
 
I tried the crisco butter flavor recipe with cold crisco flour salt and ice water like the recipe said. I am going to try using lard and follow chief longwind of the north instrucions on his website thank you. I will let you know how it comes out later. thanks :cool:junie
 
Okay, how many tablespoons of water did you use?
OK sorry I had school all week and sorry I took long to get back, and today I tried another pie crust and it was worse than before. Last time I think used 5 or 6 tablespoon of ice water. this time I used 8 tablespoons and then put it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. then I flattened it out and I could'nt even pick it up again. Then I tried flattening it out again after I made a ball with it and I put it in little pieces all over the bottom and then all over the top of the lemon filling from a can.:mad:
were gonna get some lard at the market tomaorrow and try it the way chief longhon of the north does his and see if I can do it better with the lard instead of the crisco flavoer kind. my uncle said to get a pizza picker upper flat thing with a handle and pick it up using that so maybe that will work without it breaking in pieces everywhere thanks. :cool::cool::cool:
 
I wish I could stand next to you Junie and we could work this out together. Your pie crust should not be giving you this much trouble. For some things like pie crust and bread dough, the feel of it is how people know what it needs.

Sorry, I'm not much help.
 
Tip: After making the dough, divide it into two equal parts. Liberally flour the work surface, flatten the dough ball into a thick disk before placing it onto the work surface. Sprinkle flour on top. Roll from the center out, in all directions until the crust is about two inches larger in circumference than the pie pan you are using. Cut the excess crust so that it is a smooth circle that is an inch larger than the pan. Use a long thin implement, such as an icing spreader to slide under, and loosen the pie crust. Now, gently lift one side of the crust, giving it as much support with your hands as you can, and fold it in half. Fold it in half once more to make a triangle. Lift the whole crust, and place the point of the triangle in the pan center, with the folded edge running to the pan edge. Unfold the crust. Gently press it into the pan to fill. Brush with egg wash, and blind bake for 5 minutes at 400' F. Remove from the oven, and fill. Repeat the crust rolling, then folding technique with the remaining pie dough. Place on top of the pie filling, and let it overlap an inch or so. Tuck the overlapping crust between the existing crust, and the pie plate. Flute the edges, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, cut vent holes, and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes. Your pie should be perfect.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
well i finaly made some good pie crust when i added a whole lot more water then the recipe said to. I did it like chieflongwind of the north said and i poured water instead of just some tablespons and it came out right. finally. thank you very much chief longwind of the north and everybody else. We ate my pie it was pumkin form the can at thanksgiving dinner. i think i'm going to take a break from making pies now for a littl while.
 
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Even ATK says you should make your dough wetter than the TV chefs show you. It is simply not possible to make a dough hold together with just a couple of spoonfuls of water or liquid.

When I was at my friends house in Atlanta, her daughter was cooking pasta for 10 people. When it came to salting the water she was doing what the TV chefs do. Take a pinch and put it in the water. There was eight gallons of water in the pot. I grabbed the salt box from her and poured it into my palm. Just like our grandmothers did. And just like them, I also make a wet pastry dough. It saves a lot of aggravation of having a too dry crust. :angel:
 
well i finaly made some good pie crust when i added a whole lot more water then the recipe said to. I did it like chieflongwind of the north said and i poured water instead of just some tablespons and it came out right. finally. thank you very much chief longwind of the north and everybody else. We ate my pie it was pumkin form the can at thanksgiving dinner. i think i'm going to take a break from making pies now for a littl while.

So glad I was able to help. Got any more food dillema questions for me?;)

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
:cool:I made another pie and it came out good. It was chocolate pie with whip cream. The crust was the best its not so hard this time.:cool::cool:
 
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