Addicting and easy to handle, this Homemade Pie Crust will be your go-to pie crust recipe. Despite how you use it – hot pies, cold pies, or hand pies – you’ll get a delicate flaky holding vessel every time! Try the crust in my homemade Pecan Pie Recipe.
Homemade Pie Crust
This homemade pie crust is a no-fail pie crust that is my go-to crust for everything that needs, well, a crust. It is light and flaky and perfect for anything from apple pies to pot pies. The recipe is super simple, and I know you can do it!
Now, I know that everyone has their favorite homemade pie recipe. And yes, mine happens to be with shortening. I have enjoyed all-butter pie crusts but have found that nothing is as flaky as the shortening based crusts. It took me years to embrace shortening, as I was taught very early on in my career that all-butter was the way to go. I am so glad I tried the shortening version years ago and it is now my GO-TO recipe. Perfect for hot and cold pies alike!
Homemade Pie Crust Recipe
With just a few ingredients, you can make this pie crust for hot or cold pies.
Ingredients (full recipe below)
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Vegetable shortening
- Egg
- Vinegar
- Water
How to Make this Homemade Pie Crust
- Mix together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined.
- Add the shortening and combine until crumbs about the size of a pea form.
- Bring the dough together with a wooden spoon.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together your egg, vinegar, and water.
- Pour this over the dough and mix it together until it is fully incorporated. (Don’t worry if the dough is sticky at this point.)
- Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and set it in your refrigerator to chill for a minimum of one hour.
Hot Pies
For a hot pie, divide the chilled dough in half and set it on a flour work surface. Roll out half of the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness and then transfer it to a 9-inch pie pan.
Then, before baking the crust, be sure to dock it. To dock the crust simply means to poke holes in the crust with a fork. This will help the crust to cook more evenly and prevent any pockets or bubbles from forming in the crust. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven to cool a bit before adding the filling.
If the hot pie is covered, repeat this with the second half of the dough. Bake the pie as instructed in the recipe. Store any remaining dough by wrapping tightly in plastic and refrigerating.
Cold Pies
To use this homemade pie crust for a cold pie, move the oven rack to the lowest tier and preheat the oven to 375°F. Divide the chilled dough in half and set it on a flour work surface. Roll out half of the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness and then transfer it to a 9-inch pie pan.
Loosely fit aluminum foil over the pie dish and weigh it down with pie weights, raw rice, or uncooked beans. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove the foil and weight and continue to bake for an additional 12 minutes (until golden brown). Fill and chill according to the recipe.
Looking for Recipes to Use this Homemade Pie Crust?
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening, cubed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
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In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the shortening and pulse until pea-sized crumbs form. Transfer the dough to a large bowl and bring the dough together with a wooden spoon.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar, and water. Pour over the dough and mix until combined (dough will be sticky). Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before rolling.
Hot Pie
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For a hot pie (e.g. with a filling that needs to be baked), divide the chilled dough in half on a generously floured work surface.
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Roll half of the dough to ¼-inch thick and transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Repeat with the second half of the dough if the pie is covered.
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Bake as instructed in the recipe. Wrap any remaining dough in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
Cold Pie
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For a cold pie (e.g. with a filling that doesn't need to be baked), move the oven rack to the lowest tier and preheat the oven to 375°F.
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Divide the chilled dough in half on a generously floured work surface. Roll half of the dough to ¼-inch thick and transfer to a 9-inch pie dish.
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Loosely fit aluminum foil over the lined pie dish and weigh down with pie weights, raw rice, or uncooked beans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
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Remove the weights and foil and continue baking for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Fill and chill according to the recipe.