KC’s Perfect Pie Crust Tutorial

Prep Time: |
November 18, 2014

Thanksgiving is coming, and for most of us that means three things: Turkey, pies and spending some time in the kitchen!  KC is hoping to help you spend less time in the kitchen and more time with family and friends with this helpful pie dough tutorial.  Following these easy steps, you will make pies that impress without the stress!

 

Step 1:   Assemble your ingredients.  For a quick pie dough recipe, check out our recipes page!  Here we are using all purpose flour, whole butter and shortening.

 

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Step 2:  Whisk your flour.  Oftentimes, we don’t have time to find the sifter and quite honestly, it makes a mess, so we whisk our flour to remove any lumps.

 

 

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Step 3: Work in your butter  and shortening.  Holding the pieces of butter in your hands, rub with your thumbs across your hands to make the pieces flat.  This will make the flakiest crust when the layers of butter mix with the flour.

 

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Step 4:  Add in your ice water and mix the dough.  You know you are ready when a handful of the mixture holds a shape in your hands.  Form the dough and knead it slightly to bring all the ingredients together well.

 

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Step 5: Let the dough rest.  This will make sure that the crust is flaky and tender.  Just wrap it in plastic wrap and let it sit for an hour or up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

 

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Its time to roll out the pie dough!  Cut a piece and pat it with your hands into a circle.  The key is to start round, and end round!  The trick to this is to roll in an “x” motion an equal number of times.  Roll until the dough reaches a quarter inch thickness.  When you’re done, it will look like this!

 

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Gently fold the dough in half and lift it into your pie dish.

 

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Straighten the dough out and trim the edges with a paring knife.

 

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Now comes the fun part!  Below are a few simple crimping techniques to dress your pie.  If you are making a double crust pie, go ahead and fill it and cover it before applying your edge.

 

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Fork Method:  Simply criss cross fork lines along the edge of the pie.

 

 

 

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Spoon Method: Create pretty lines with the end of a spoon along the edge of the pie.

 

 

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Simple crimping method: Push your index finger of your right hand in-between the index and thumb of your left hand.

 

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If you want a challenge, try a braided pie crust!  Cut three long strips of dough and braid them, securing them to the edge as you go.

 

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Ready to go in the oven!  Today we are making a Michigan Apple Pie, so we decided to make a vent in the shape of our state!  Bake at 400 degrees until bubbly and delicious, about 45 minutes to an hour.

 

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Make sure you egg wash and add an optional sprinkle of raw sugar for an extra sparkle on top of your pie!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathryn Wandrie is the head chef and co-owner of KC Catering. Though she is trained in French Classical Cuisine, she expands the boundaries of her culinary education by experimenting with new techniques, cuisines and methods. When she's not cheffing, you can find her on the family farm, spending time with family, or reading a good novel.

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