I may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this article. Full Disclosure
I’ll admit it, I’ve used store bought pie crusts when I’ve made pies in the past. Pie crusts just seem intimidating and up until now, I thought that pie crusts always used shortening.
I’m not a fan of shortening. So I avoided making pie crusts.Then I gave this all butter pie crust a try and life will never be the same.
Now store bought pie crusts have ingredients that are much worse then just shortening.
I didn’t really think you could get to crazy with pie crust ingredients but companies have found a way… curious as to what I found on the ingredient list of one of my store bought pie crusts (the refrigerated kind)?
Here’s the ingredient list: Enriched Flour Bleached (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Partially Hydrogenated Lard with BHA and BHT to Protect Flavor, Wheat Starch, Water. Contains 2% or less of: Salt, Rice Flour, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Propionate (preservatives), Citric Acid, Yellow 5, Red 40.
Flour… ok enough, partially hydrogenated lard with BHA and BHT… I’ll pass, then you get into the crazy stuff… Preservatives? Food dyes? Why does pie crust need food dyes?
This pie crust has none of the usual fats such as lard or shortening. Not that there’s anything wrong with good lard but I’m willing to bet it’s not a common ingredient for most people to have in their kitchens.
This recipe most certainly does not have preservatives or food dyes!!! Just 4 wholesome, real food ingredients.
Flawless All Butter Pie Crust
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter – chilled and diced
2-4 tbs. cold water
Directions:
Mix:
Place flour, salt, and chilled butter into a food processor.
Pulse the food processor a few times until you have a nice course crumb mix.
Add in just 2 tablespoon of the cold water and pulse again.
If you already have a nice ball of dough stop. However, odds are you will need to add at least 1 more tablespoon of water.
Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse until a smooth ball of dough forms. – You do not want a sticky dough. You want a nice firm but not crumbly dough…think playdough consistency.
Roll:
Roll out the dough on a well floured surface. Roll dough into a circle that is a few inches larger than your pie plate.
Place dough into pie plate and press to form crust.
Cut off any over hang and/or decorate the crust.
Chill:
Chill pie dough in the pie pan for 1 hour or until you are ready to bake. You need to chill at least an hour so that the butter can firm up again.
Bake:
I personally prefer to pre-bake my pie crust for a few minutes before filling, however you can also skip the pre-baking and move straight to filling and baking. The preference is yours. Baking temperatures and times will probably vary depending on the type of pie you are making so go by the pie recipe for cooking instructions.
Makes one 9″ pie crust
