All Things Pie: Part 2
The Pie Crust Recipe
This is my classic pie crust recipe, and it’s the only recipe I turn to when making fall pies. It’s crisp enough to balance out a soft, custardy filling, and it’s sturdy enough to keep big chunks of fruit contained. A hint of sugar allows the full-inclusion flour to contribute a robust depth of flavor without the crust leaning too far into savory territory. Speaking of savory, this crust also works great for quiches and all other pies of the not-sweet variety.
I like to make this pie crust with half butter and half shortening because that gives me both a rich, buttery flavor and a light, crisp texture. Because shortening and lard are softer than butter, cutting the fat into the flour mixture must be done in two steps. If you prefer, you can totally make this crust using all butter, or even vegan butter for a vegan pie. If you only use one sort of fat, you can cut it into the flour in one step.
To read the full background on this pie recipe, check out All Things Pie: Part 1.
This recipe makes one pie crust. To make a second pie crust to be the top of a double crust pie, or to make additional crusts for additional pies, simply double (or triple, etc.) the recipe as needed. Discs of pie dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen for up to three months.
