The Perfect Single Pie Crust Recipe
You can never go wrong with a buttery, flaky piecrust—especially one that's homemade! Don't be intimidated by making your own piecrust! In just a few steps you can learn how to make flaky piecrust that will melt in your mouth and be far more popular than any store-bought crust. Follow along with our flaky piecrust recipe, then choose your own filling to make a delicious homemade pie.
How to Make Pie Crust in a Food Processor
Prepare the recipe as written, except place steel blade in food processor bowl. Add flour, shortening, butter, and salt. Cover and process with on/off turns until most of mixture resembles cornmeal, but a few larger pieces remain. With food processor running, quickly add 3 tablespoons water through feed tube. Stop processor as soon as all water is added; scrape down sides. Process with 2 on/off turns (mixture may not all be moistened). Remove dough from bowl; shape into a ball.
How to Make a Baked Pastry Shell
Prepare the pie crust, except generously prick bottom and sides of pastry in pie plate with a fork. Prick all around where bottom and sides meet. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil. Bake in a 450 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 5 to 6 minutes more or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Make-Ahead Pie Crust Recipe
Prepare and bake the single pie crust. Cool pastry shell. Wrap in foil and place in freezer container or bag. Seal, label, and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw overnight before using.
Ingredients
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1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
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½ teaspoon salt
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¼ cup shortening
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1/4 cup butter
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¼ - ⅓ cup cold water
Directions
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In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening and butter until pieces are pea-size.
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Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening dough, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until the mixture begins to come together. Gather dough into a ball and knead gently until it holds together.
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On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Use light, even strokes to roll dough from center to edges into a 12-inch circle.
Test Kitchen Tip: If dough sticks to the rolling pin or work surface, sprinkle it with additional flour.
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Fold pastry into fourths and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Unfold and ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Center the pastry so an even amount is hanging over all sides. Lightly press the pastry over the bottom and sides of the pie plate.
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Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry even with the plate's edge. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry. Fill and bake as directed in individual recipes. Makes 8 servings.
Test Kitchen Tip: To create a pretty fluted edge, place a finger against the inside edge of the pastry. Using the thumb and index finger of your other hand, press the pastry around your finger.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 194 | Calories |
| 12g | Fat |
| 18g | Carbs |
| 2g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 8 | |
| Calories 193.8 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 12.4g | 16% |
| Saturated Fat 6.3g | 31% |
| Cholesterol 18.8mg | 6% |
| Sodium 178.4mg | 8% |
| Total Carbohydrate 17.9g | 7% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.6g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 0.1g | |
| Protein 2.5g | 5% |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 5.4mg | 0% |
| Iron 1.1mg | 6% |
| Potassium 26.8mg | 1% |
| Fatty acids, total trans 0.2g | |
| Vitamin D 0IU | |
| Alanine 0.1g | |
| Arginine 0.1g | |
| Ash 0.6g | |
| Aspartic acid 0.1g | |
| Caffeine 0mg | |
| Carotene, alpha 0mcg | |
| Choline, total 5.4mg | |
| Copper, Cu 0mg | |
| Cystine 0.1g | |
| Energy 811kJ | |
| Fluoride, F 2.1mcg | |
| Folate, total 43.1mcg | |
| Glutamic acid 0.8g | |
| Glycine 0.1g | |
| Histidine 0.1g | |
| Isoleucine 0.1g | |
| Leucine 0.2g | |
| Lysine 0.1g | |
| Methionine 0g | |
| Magnesium, Mg 5.3mg | |
| Manganese, Mn 0.2mg | |
| Niacin 1.4mg | |
| Phosphorus, P 27mg | |
| Pantothenic acid 0.1mg | |
| Phenylalanine 0.1g | |
| Phytosterols 0.8mg | |
| Proline 0.3g | |
| Retinol 47.6mcg | |
| Selenium, Se 8mcg | |
| Serine 0.1g | |
| Theobromine 0mg | |
| Threonine 0.1g | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.2mg | |
| Tryptophan 0g | |
| Tyrosine 0.1g | |
| Valine 0.1g | |
| Vitamin A, IU 177.3IU | |
| Vitamin A, RAE 48.5mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0mg | |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 1.9mcg | |
| Water 6.6g | |
| Zinc, Zn 0.2mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.