Making A Flaky Pie Crust: You Can Do It!

I confess that my family is a bit spoiled when it comes to pies. Until I opened the bakery, I didn't actually make them for us all that much unless it was a special occasion, but when we had pie it was always homemade.

One of these occasions each year happens to be my husband's birthday. Forget the cake, he wants my apple pie, and my apple pie is what he gets.

I mean, just look at it - can you blame him? Flaky crust, Granny Smith apples baked just right - no crunchy or mushy apples for us, thank you very much! - and just the right amount of sugary goodness to tie it all together. Oh, and did I mention the perfect crust?

The first time my daughter, Olivia, had a storebought pie was pretty funny. She was at a church event and snagged a slice of the pie that had been purchased at the local wholesale club. Then she took a big bite. I'm still not sure if she choked it down or spit it out, but I'll never forget what she said to me: "Mom, it was terrible! It was like eating cardboard!"

So, I'm going to do you a favor today. I'm going to give you a few tips so that you don't have to suffer through refrigerator pie crusts for the rest of your life. And while you are always (and I do mean always) welcome to order pies from me, I feel like I should be generous with the things I have learned over the past few years. In this day and age of You Tube videos and the internet, the information is out there if you want it, so why should I be stingy?

Tip 1: Find a good recipe

There are some excellent recipes out there for a pie crust, and everyone has their favorite. The recipe I use makes 4 crusts an includes an egg and vinegar. I don't know exactly WHY it is so magical, but the results are certainly amazing. So, once you find a recipe that works for you, don't bother trying to deviate. It just isn't worth it.

Tip 2: Don't use a mixer

When making a pie crust, you never want to use a mixer. You'll combine your dry ingredients together, "cut in" your fat (butter, shortening, etc.) with a pastry cutter, and then add the wet ingredients. You'll stir it together with a spoon (gasp!) and then use your hands to finish working in the flour and shape it into balls before rolling it out. You defintely don't want to use that fancy stand mixer you have. Trust me. You can't achieve pie crust perfection without getting your hands dirty. In a manner of speaking, of course.

Tip 3: Don't go crazy with the flour

One of the biggest mistakes that people make is that they add too much flour to their dough. You actually want your pie crust dough to be pretty soft and pliable. It shouldn't stick to your hands when you handle it, but it should be softer than Play Doh. When you are ready to roll it out, generously coat your clean surface with flour. You will also need to sprinkle flour on top of the dough before you start and throughout the process as well. If pieces of dough start to stick to the rolling pin, it's time to dust the top with a light sprinkling of flour again. This ensures that you are adding enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your work surface and tools, but not so much that you'll end up with a tough crust.

Tip 4: Don't try to go low-fat

You can't make a good low-fat pie crust. It just can't be done. Oh, sure, you could MAKE the pie crust with less fat, but it won't be flaky. Why is a croissant so melt-in-your-mouth delicious? Butter, my friends. It has loads and loads of butter (translation = fat) in the dough. A flaky pastry cannot be low-fat. It is basic kitchen chemistry.

And while we are talking about fats, rememer to choose your fats wisely. There are those who swear by using lard in their crusts. This can be great if you can find real lard that hasn't been polluted. (Read the label on the tub in the grocery store next time you are in the baking aisle - you might be surprised. I know I sure was.) You can also make pie crust with coconut oil or butter, but in my experiece it makes it a little harder work with the dough. Unless someone requests to use an alternative, I actually prefer to use butter-flavored Crisco. The label assures me (for what it's worth) that there are no transfats, and it produces a dough that handles well and tastes amazing when baked. And yes, I know Crisco isn't good for you. But I'm eating PIE for Pete's sake. It's not SUPPOSED to be health food. That's why it's not a staple in my diet, and I sincerely hope it isn't a staple in yours.

If you can follow these basic principles, you'll be able to make a decent crust. And while it may not look pretty at first (or second or third), you will get better with practice. In the meantime, it will still taste delicious.