Old Fashioned Pie Crust

I learned to cook deserts when I was very young.  Many of the recipes I learned then have been “updated”.  Some of the changes are good, but others are not.  I find modern piecrust recipes lacking. 
They all add extra salt, sugar, or other ingredients that tailor them to specific recipes.  This is the original recipe for piecrust from a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that is long gone and was printed almost 50 years ago.  This piecrust goes perfectly with every kind of pie: berry, pot pie, pudding pie, you name it.

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Old-Fashioned Pie Crust

Makes: 2 piecrusts

Ingredients

2 
cups flour

¾ cup shortening*

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup water

Directions

1.   Spoon flour into a cup measure and use a knife to level the top.  This gives the flour a lighter texture.  That lets it mix better in your piecrust.

2.  Put flour in a mixing bowl.  Cut in shortening using a pastry cutter.  Resulting mix should be chopped to the size of a pea.

3.  Pour vanilla into a cup measure.  Fill measure to a total of ¼ cup with water.  Stir water/vanilla mix into shortening/flour mix.

Kneaded dough

4.  Using your hands, knead the pie dough until the flour is fully incorporated.  If the flour will not fully absorb, add 1 tsp water.  You want the dough as dry as possible while still incorporating virtually all of the flour.

The following is directions on how to roll out piecrust including some of the tricks of the trade.  If you already know how to roll out piecrust, skip this section and roll out your dough to your specifications.

Floured dough ready for rolling

5.  Split finished dough in two and roll into a ball.  Sprinkle flour on a flat surface (typically your countertop) and flatten the first ball into the flour with the palm of your hand.  Flip the dough on the floured surface; make sure there is a thin layer of flour under the dough.

Flip halfway through

6.  Place your pie pan in your line of sight.  Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the pie dough.  When the dough is about ½ the diameter you want, flip it again ensuring there is a thin layer of flour under the dough.  Roll the dough to a diameter large enough to fit in your pie pan, including enough to go up the sides and allow folding of the dough at the edge of the pan.  

Rolled dough

Note:  If the dough cracks at the edge (which it will) overlap edges of the crack and gently roll over the overlap with the rolling pin.  The edged should merge.  If they don’t, don’t worry about it.  You can correct the problem after the dough is in the pie pan.  DO NOT try to re-ball the dough and roll it out again if you can avoid it.  Each time the dough is rolled it gets a bit less flaky.

Crust on rolling pin for transfer

7.  When the crust is the right diameter, gently roll it over the rolling pin.  Lift the rolling pin with dough to your pie pan.  Make sure the edge of the crust overlaps the pie pan by an inch or so.  Gently unroll the piecrust over the pie pan allowing it to drop into the bottom of the pan. 

Centered piecrust

8.  Once the piecrust is in in place, gently adjust it until it fully lines the pie pan and overlaps all edges of the pie pan.  If you have remaining unsealed cracks wet a finger with plain water and dampen the lower face of the crack.  Put the upper face in place and gently press the two edged together.

9.  If you plan to do a 2-crust pie, add the filling, roll out the 2^nd ball using the same techniques and place the crust on top of the pie filling.  If you plan to do a one-crust pie, roll out the 2^nd ball of dough using the same techniques and put it in a second pie pan**

Classic edge

10.  There are many ways to crimp the edged of the dough.  Some common ones are: 

- You can use a fork by sliding it, flat side down, down the edge of the pie pan.  Make sure the tine marks overlap and work your way around the pie pan until all excess dough is cut.  This gives a serrated edge effect.

-  To make a classic edge.  Lift some of the excess dough above the edge of the pie pan.  Put your index and middle finger on the inside of the pie pan rim with a small gap between them.  Push pie dough into the space between your fingers.  Shift so your index finger sits in the indentation from your middle finger.  Push the dough with your thumb into the gap between your fingers.  Repeat until the entire edge is fluted.  Use a knife and slice the excess dough from the bottom edge of the pie pan rim.

- Some stores sell rolling cutters to give your piecrust a fancy edge.

Finished Blueberry Pie

11.  Cook pie and piecrust according to your recipes directions.

*Tip: Refrigerate the shortening at least overnight.  Crisco and other shortening manufacturers have changed the way they make shortening over the years: probably to make it healthier.  Unfortunately, the changes affect the texture and room temperature shortening is too soft to make good piecrust.

** Tip 2: If you don’t want to use the 2^nd crust right away, you can freeze it either cooked or uncooked.

10.  If you

Tip 3:  Excess pie dough can be used to make mini tart shells.