How to make a Pie Crust

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, that means pumpkin pie, turkey, and my raspberry cranberry jello salad. In order to have a great pumpkin pie, you must first have a great pie crust.

Let me show you step by step how I make my pie crust.

Starting in a large bow I add flour and salt. Stir this together.

Some recipes call for butter but I prefer to use butter flavor, Crisco.  I find that the Crisco mixes well with the flour and gives it a little bit of flakiness to the crust.

Using the butter flavor Crisco gives the crust a buttery taste.

Using a pastry blender to cut the shortening into the flour. Doing this until pieces are pea-sized. 

You can also use a fork when doing this but I find the pastry blender is much easier and quicker at cutting the shortening into the flour.

This is how the start of your pie crust should look once the shortening is all cut into the flour.

In the next step, I did use a fork. Because I was tossing the dough as I added the water.

You will want to add a little bit of the water at a time to make sure you are not adding to much water.

Flaky Pie Crust Recipe

As you are working the water into the dough if it looks like it is getting sticky you should stop adding water. You want the dough moist.

Once I have the dough made I form it into a circle and wrap it in saran wrap.

Then place it into the refrigerator for about an hour. When I made this pie crust I did it before I ran to get the kids from school.

So it was in the refrigerator for more than an hour. Chilling the pie crust will help give it a flaky crust. The shortening will melt once the pie crust is in the oven, the heat from the oven will cause steam.

The steam will form little pockets and these pockets are what helps give the flakiness to the crust.

On a floured surface place your chilled pie crust, sprinkle with a little bit of flour. You don't want to go overboard with the flour it will dry the crust out.

Starting in the middle of the dough roll it out. As you roll, move the dough a quarter of a turn each time after you roll.

Being careful to make sure you get a nice size crust and the right thickness to the crust.

This next part can be tricky, I rolled the dough up with my rolling pin. Being very careful because this is where all your hard work could split.

I then slide my pie plate behind the rolling pin and unroll the dough from the rolling pin.

Rolling out the pie crust

After the dough is covering the pie plate I gently push the dough down into the plate, starting in the middle and working my way to the sides.  Taking a sharp knife I trim the extra dough off the sides.

Depending on how much crust you like is how much to trim off. I left about ½ inch from the edge of my pie plate, but you can leave more if you like.

To make it look a little nicer I will go around and tuck the edges.

This next step is one of my favorites, you get to show off your creative side with how you want the edges of your crust to look. 

I need to give my youngest the credit on this photo, my hands were kind of full to get a picture.

For most of my pies, I like to do the fluted edge.  Placing my thumb against the inside of the pastry. Pressing the dough around my thumb with my other thumb and index finger.

Just look at that beautiful pie crust! Baking of the crust will depend on what type of filling you are using or if you are just baking the crust.

Baking just the pie crust you will want to prick the bottom of the pastry using a fork. Bake in a 450℉ oven for 13 to 14 minutes or until pastry is golden.

You may want to cover with foil for half of the baking time. This will help prevent the pastry from burning.

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Other My Creative Manner recipes you may enjoy:

• Pumpkin Pie From Scratch
• Raspberry Cranberry Jello Salad
• Banana Cream Pie
• Ham and Cream Cheese Roll-Ups