I made a pie today, ISO help w/crust

[panzerfaust0]

I made it from scratch. For the crust, I used cold water, salt, cold butter, and flour. but my crust came out all tough and dry, and not at all flaky. was this because i didn't use enough butter? Or something else. What caused this? How do I make really light, flaky crust? thanks.

oh i baked it for 50 minutes at 350 degree farenheit and it wasn't burned at all.

 

[dcSaute]

the usual culprit for tough pie crust is overworking the dough - the dough develops some of its gluten - which one does not want in a flaky pie crust.

also the water quantity - use the absolute minimum of ice water. too much water makes for easy mixing, but at the cost of flaky.

"all butter" is not the best - in my opinion - option. vegetable shortening plus 1-2 tablespoons of butter for flavor is one suggestion.

I personally have stopped with the vegetable shortening and gone further back in history to lard (plus butter for flavor) - the lard is superior, I think

 

[Hoot]

the lard is superior, I think

+1

 

[joesfolk]

definately lard +butter. Try googling a lard and vinegar pie crust recipe. the butter gives it flavor and the lard makes it flaky (butter helps too). You should know you have a good crust when you can see the flecks of butter in the dough. You'll know what I mean when you see it. Remember, pie dough knows if you are afraid of it.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

This is why I buy prepared crusts. I buy one package of 2 Marie Callender pie crusts in aluminium pans, and if I'm making two crust pies, one package of two rolled up crusts, either Pillsbury or the store brand. I prebake the Marie Callender's crust, fill it, roll out the rolled up crust on top, pinch the edges, and throw it in the oven according to the directions on the package. I have never made a pie with a bad crust!

 

[Aunt Bea]

I use the evil Crisco for pie crusts. For a two crust pie I use 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup Crisco and 1/4 cup ice water. No matter how you feel about Crisco, the Crisco.com website has some great tips and videos on pie crust making that may help you. No matter what method you use pie crust takes quite a lot of practice to get right. It also helps if you know a good scratch baker that you can watch make a pie or two. Good luck!

 

[Constance]

Lard makes the best pie crust, but is out of favor with the medical community. I have always used butter flavored Crisco. It makes delicious pie crust, and gives it a slight golden color that is quite appealing.
If you don't already have one, I recommend you get a tool called a pastry whisk, for cutting the shortening into your flour. The heat from your fingers melts the shortening, which makes the pastry tough. You don't want those little molecules of shortening to melt until the pastry bakes, when it leaves tiny spaces between the bits of flour mixture, making it flaky and tender.

 

[joesfolk]

Lard makes the best pie crust, but is out of favor with the medical community..

You are right, lard has been villified. I figure that since I only make pies at the most once a month (if that often) and no one ever has more than two slices from each pie we are not getting enough lard to cause a problem. We probably get way more meat fat from the bacon and sausage that we eat. Frankly, that lovely flaky lard pie crust is worth the risk to me.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

If you want a flaky crust, freeze your butter the grate the amount you need, fork quickly into the flour, add your "wets" bring together quickly and gently, rest in the fridge.

 

[SherryDAmore]

Try this from Kenji Alt/Serious eats. The Food Lab: The Science of Pie Dough | Serious Eats: Sweets

Kenji is the MIT grad who was the genius behind a lot of America's Test Kitchen recipes. He also has a recipe for using vodka instead of water for pie crust.

 

[bakechef]

I bet that Crisco is worse for you than lard.

Trans fats seem to be worse for you than saturated fats, no matter what the label says it is still mostly transfats (hydrogenated oil). There seems to be no safe amount of trans fats, but most can tolerate a moderate amount of saturated fats.

This is my opinion and take it for what you will, but our bodies know what to do with plant based and animal based saturated fats, but hydrogenated fats like Crisco are "engineered" products no longer in their natural state and our bodies were never meant to eat them, potentially causing us problems.

I'm not a doctor or a scientist, but for me the closer you can eat foods to their natural state, the better, the less "engineered" the better.

 

[CWS4322]

I have bumped this because I caught a cooking show that was all about pie crust. I always add 1 tsp of vinegar to my crust and use 1/2 lard, 1/2 Crisco or butter (and often 1 tsp vodka, but not always). My grandma and great aunt always used lard and Crisco (cold), ice water, and vinegar. What I did not know was that the vinegar inhibits the formation of gluten so you end up with a crust that is tender. I have to say, I have been making pie crust since I was knee-high to a grasshopper and have never had a tough pie crust. It is one of the things that I make very well--always flaky. I have to thank my gran and great aunt for that. I've made whole wheat flour crusts using my grandma's recipe and it has been as tender and flaky as those I have made with AP flour.

 

[GLC]

You are right, lard has been villified. I figure that since I only make pies at the most once a month (if that often) and no one ever has more than two slices from each pie we are not getting enough lard to cause a problem. We probably get way more meat fat from the bacon and sausage that we eat. Frankly, that lovely flaky lard pie crust is worth the risk to me.

Aside from the "Gasp! FAT!! Oh, my!!" squad having the vapors over lard, there is the somewhat more rational note that commercial lard, meaning all you will find in grocery stores, likely uses some fat from less desirable cuts, and is subject to all sorts of bleaching and other chemical processes and preservatives. It may not be your worst fear, if you don't east much lard, but if you do, perhaps being picky about your daily biscuits, it's worth locating a source of good, leaf lard, plain open kettle rendered from fat around kidneys and loins. I can get it locally, but that's unusual. If you search LEAF LARD, Google will find you a couple of online sources. Expect to pay $8 to $15 a pound, plus shipping.

 

[taxlady]

Aside from the "Gasp! FAT!! Oh, my!!" squad having the vapors over lard, there is the somewhat more rational note that commercial lard, meaning all you will find in grocery stores, likely uses some fat from less desirable cuts, and is subject to all sorts of bleaching and other chemical processes and preservatives. It may not be your worst fear, if you don't east much lard, but if you do, perhaps being picky about your daily biscuits, it's worth locating a source of good, leaf lard, plain open kettle rendered from fat around kidneys and loins. I can get it locally, but that's unusual. If you search LEAF LARD, Google will find you a couple of online sources. Expect to pay $8 to $15 a pound, plus shipping.

Excellent points and wonderful/hilarious photo.