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Video: How to Make a Basic Pie Crust

February 19, 2010 by feastonthecheap 6 Comments

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Mariel here. After the holidays, it became abundantly clear that my pie crust making skills stunk. While I have no qualms with using store-bought crust, my mother, an expert baker and all-around gourmand (as you well know), wouldn’t hear of it. She promised I’d be able to master this elusive art and offered up her wisdom in a step-by-step “Pie Crust Making for Dummies” seminar. Lucky for me – and you – I had a video camera on hand so I was able to capture her technique on film. Never again will I have to suffer the indignity of a crappy homemade crust, or worse, one pre-made by Pepperidge Farm.

Print This Recipe Print This Recipe

Basic Pie Crust Recipe
Makes a Double Crust

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups flour – stock
1 teaspoon salt – stock
1 teaspoon sugar – stock
2 sticks sweet butter (16 Tablespoons), sliced (and cold) – stock
approximately ½ cup ice water
Total Cost: Free(ish), depending on how stocked your pantry is

Directions:
1. Arm the food processor with its metal blade. Add the butter, flour, salt, and sugar. Press pulse for about 10 seconds or so, until the dry ingredients resemble coarse meal.

2. Slowly, through the feed tube, drizzle the iced water while simultaneously pressing the pulse button. This step is critical – don’t over mix the dough as it will quickly toughen. You want to “pulse” it just until it holds together.

3. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and turn the dough out onto it. Separate the dough into 2 equal-size amounts. With very gently pressure,  form each half of the mixture into a ball, then using the heel of your hands press them into  flat discs. Remember, the less you handle and maul the pie dough, the flakier the result.

4. Cover each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for one hour. *(You can refrigerate dough up to three days before or freeze it for a month. I often will double or quadruple the recipe, freezing several crusts at once so that I always have a supply for last minute pies.)

5. On a floured counter top roll out the first piece of dough and transfer it to a 9 or 10-inch pie dish, depending on the pie you’re preparing. Trim the excess dough to the edge of the dish if you are preparing a pie that has a top crust. If making a single crust, trim the dough, leaving a one-inch overhang for crimping. Save any scraps for cutting out decorative leaves for the top crust if you feel so inclined and are making a fruit pie.

Now that you’re a pro, try your hand at a few of our favorite pies:
Mom’s Apple Pie
Apple & Mango Crumble
Peach Sour Cream Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie
Turkey Pot Pie
Asparagus & Mushroom Tart

For additional tips, the Food Network also has a fabulous round up of pie crust suggestions like adding cocoa and nuts to spice things up. Even the Crust Master herself learned a thing or two…

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Filed Under: Recipe Index, Sweets & Treats, Videos Tagged With: Baking, basics, cooking, dessert, entertaining, how-to, pie crust, pies, recipes

About feastonthecheap

A mother-daughter duo starring a professional caterer and a fledgling foodie.

Comments

  1. karen brown says

    February 19, 2010 at 9:09 pm

    I watched both videos, great demonstration!!!!

    Reply
    • feastonthecheap says

      February 19, 2010 at 10:44 pm

      Hey! Thanks for checking us out. It was really good talking to you earlier. You’re always in my thoughts. xoxo

      Reply
  2. Huguette says

    February 20, 2010 at 9:41 am

    Hi Mariel and Maryann,
    this is Huguette from Florida. Just watched your pie crust recipe. Wow…that was great! What a fabulous instructor you are Maryann. I know you’ll make it on TV someday! I will call Aunt Aggie to tell her how wonderful you are. I will also forward this to her niece Dee, my best friend. God Bless you both. Great Team.

    Reply
    • feastonthecheap says

      February 20, 2010 at 10:15 am

      Thank you! And in terms of TV, “from your lips to…!” Have a great day. xo

      Reply
  3. MRS. A says

    February 22, 2010 at 5:36 pm

    WOW,
    Feast on the Cheap has a voice! Congratulations!
    Mariel you deserve a Network Award for your video-audio-graphy! MaryAnne, you should be lauded for your presentation and great performance, plus a bonus award for having the skillful technique for getting through it “sans” a speck of flour on your clothes, (not like me)!
    XXX000XXX
    from your Number 1 Fan

    Reply
    • feastonthecheap says

      February 22, 2010 at 7:41 pm

      And a WOW to you! You’re learning how to navigate the comment box! Guess my tutorials aren’t limited to cooking and baking, ha ha. Yes, Mariel had used the camera for the very first time that day, and really did do a remarkable job. I hadn’t noticed that I was a “tidy” baker without any flour on my clothes. It was one of those days where everything I touched in the kitchen turned out perfectly! Send my love to Mr. A. and tell him to keep blowing the incentive spirometer! Lots of Love, M.A.

      Reply

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