Whenever your pie crust edges start to brown before its center has finished baking, cover them with a shield (such as this piece of tin foil). Tin foil works ideally because it’s light weight, flexible and inexpensive!
Once you’re free from your game play on yoakimbridge.com, start with only the minimum required of water or other liquid in your recipe, as too much can lead to gluten formation which toughens up your dough.
1. Use All-Purpose Flour
As all-purpose flour is designed specifically to give you flaky pie crust results, all-purpose flour will give the best results when creating tender and flaky baked goods such as cakes, cookies and bread.
Self-rising flour should be avoided for pie crust, due to its higher protein content compared with all-purpose flour and risk of producing an unpleasant chewy crust. However, in an emergency it may still be possible to create one using this form of flour.
When making pie dough, it is crucial that ice-cold water be used. This ensures the dough stays together while also creating the perfect crust texture.
2. Make Sure Your Work Surface Is Floured
Pie crust can be one of the most satisfying desserts to create, but it can be challenging without using proper techniques. To ensure maximum flakiness, ensure your work surface is generously floured – this will prevent dough from sticking and help create those all-important flaky layers!
Be careful when handling the dough; overhandling can produce gluten and result in deflated flaky layers. Don’t fret over any lumps of butter; they’ll melt into flavorful layers while baking!
Once your dough is prepared, carefully transfer it to a pie pan and trim any excess. Fluttered or crimped edges can then be decorated as desired before blind-baking and filling according to your pie recipe. Enjoy! This recipe makes enough dough for two crusts so you can either enjoy one double-crust pie at the same time, or save the second crust for use later as part of a single-crust pie!
3. Roll Out The Dough On A Floured Surface
Utilizing a rolling pin, roll out your dough into a circle larger than your pie plate. As you work, liberally flour both your work surface and rolling pin to prevent sticking; once complete, fold in half and brush away excess flour from its surface.
At this stage, it’s crucial not to overwork the dough as this will ruin its flakiness and create pockets of deliciousness in your finished product. Allowing some butter chunks to remain will melt during baking and create pockets of tasty goodness!
Whenever your dough gets too warm, refrigerate for several minutes and try again. Otherwise, use kitchen shears to cut away any extra and gently ease it into your pie plate using kitchen shears; any holes should be filled by pressing together and crimping the edge for a finished crust finish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour to set before refining again.
4. Roll The Dough Around Your Rolling Pin
Once your dough has been formed into its approximate final form (using a ruler may help), it’s time to start rolling. Remember that fat plays an essential role in creating flakiness in pie crust, so always ensure it remains cold (hence why we refrigerate).
When it’s time to roll, lightly dust your rolling pin before rolling outward. Make sure you rotate it at least one quarter turn while rolling so as to create an even and symmetrical crust shape, catching any cracks as they form and sealing them tight with your rolling pin. Your crust should finish out being about 1/8 inch thick – standard thickness for most recipes.
5. Roll The Dough Out To The Right Diameter
Butter contains water, and when introduced during baking it forms steam that helps create flaky layers. To get optimal results with pie dough it’s important to leave visible chunks of butter; they will eventually melt during the oven cycle to produce pockets of flakiness!
After rolling out your dough, ensure it measures approximately one inch larger than the diameter of your pie plate. Use kitchen shears to trim away excess crust; you can then crimp or flute the edges if desired.
Note that when rolling dough, only do so in one direction – do not perform a “play-dough” style maneuver like rolling back and forth across a board! Rather, aim to always roll towards 12 o’clock for best results – you may wish to purchase rolling pin spacer strips for precision rolling! They work great!
6. Flip The Dough Over And Roll It Again
As you roll out your dough, it may want to stick to the countertop. To prevent this, lightly dust it with flour or use a baking mat as you roll. Next use a large metal spatula to flip over and continue rolling it out.
Many recipes call for mixing the dough until it resembles coarse cornmeal; however, this step isn’t always necessary; leaving some larger pieces of butter can create air pockets in your dough that contribute to flakiness.
Once it’s time to place your pie in the oven, carefully transfer it from its place on the countertop to a pie tin or sheet pan and carefully trim and crimp its edges – following our tips below for this). Brushing on an egg wash before baking adds extra color and shine to its crust.
7. Roll The Dough Out To The Right Thickness
As with any dough, when rolling it out it is essential that it has the appropriate thickness. Too thick will mean your crust won’t cook completely while too thin won’t support its pie filling properly.
Roll back and forth while rotating your dough for optimal thickness. This will help to maintain its round shape while preventing it from sticking to either your counter or rolling pin.
If your dough is difficult to keep the shape you need, try shaping it with your hands into a rough circle or rectangle before beginning rolling. This will help it retain its form during rolling and make transfer to your pie pan easier. Be sure to always use light touch when working with dough!
8. Roll The Dough Out To The Right Length
If your dough is too short, it will shrink in the oven and produce an inferior crust. To avoid this scenario, roll out your dough until it stretches over your pie plate by at least a few inches.
When rolling out your pie crust, be sure to keep the dough chilled and to continuously flour your work surface and rolling pin in order to prevent it from sticking. Doing this will ensure a successful experience!
Use a pastry brush to apply additional flour as necessary, preventing your dough from becoming too sticky, which could result in tears and tough crust. Be sure to use a rolling pin that is clean; dirty rollers ruin perfectly-rolled pie crust! -Sharon G., Recipe Curator and Blogger
9. Roll The Dough Out To The Right Thickness
Too much liquid or working with warm dough can result in dense crust. For best results, add only enough liquid so the dough clumps together when pinching between your fingers.
After you finish rolling the dough, it should be approximately an inch larger all around than your pie plate invert. This ensures there will be enough dough to cover both its base and sides without it stretching too tight or being stretched too much.
Erin recommends using all butter for maximum flavor, while shortening and lard will also create that flaky texture. For even greater control, try combining them both! Brush away any excess flour before gently drape the dough over your pie plate using kitchen shears if any overhang exists.
10. Roll The Dough Out To The Right Length
Roll the dough so it is about 1/2 inch larger in diameter than your pie plate to give the crust some added height and ensure even baking.
When rolling dough, use a light touch. Too much pressure may toughen it up. If your dough sticks to surfaces such as tables or surfaces with silicone pastry mats, lightly flour the surface or use a silicone pastry mat as needed.
As part of the dough-making process, it’s essential to maintain a cool kitchen and butter. This will prevent it from melting into your dough and altering its texture, with melting fat creating pockets of air which lead to flakiness in your crust. Erin swears by all-butter pie dough but using shortening or lard will work just as effectively; just ensure you retain some larger chunks of fat within your dough for maximum flakiness; the steam produced when melting fat creates little pockets of air that contribute to creating flakiness!