Flaky No Fail Pie Crust Recipe
A no fail pie crust recipe for all your favourite pies! Tender, flaky and delicious. This recipe makes 1 top and 1 bottom crust.
Servings 1 top crust and 1 bottom crust
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup cold shortening (lard)
- 1/4 cup cold water
Instructions
- Sift the flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl.
- With a pastry cutter (pastry blender), cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the particles are like coarse meal.
- Sprinkle in water, 1 tsp or so at a time, mixing lightly with a fork. Don't over mix or the crust will be tough. If your dough seems wet enough, you don't need to add all of the water.
- Press the dough into a ball. It is okay if it is a little crumbly. In fact crumbly makes for a tender, flaky crust!
- Separate the ball of pie dough into 2 balls: one for the bottom crust and one for the top.
Notes
The key to a perfectly flaky baked crust is to bake the assembled pie for 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree F oven. Then after this time slip a cookie sheet onto the rack below the pie pan, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake for 25-35 minutes more. Bake until the crust is golden brown and your filling is bubbling in the vents. The initial high temperature ensures that the bottom of the crust isn't soggy.