Pie crust from scratch how to#
Pie crust from scratch full#

Whisk together 1 cup of the granulated sugar and the water in a medium saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is just dissolved. And in all baking just keep an eye on the edges because crust with sugar and yolk in it will brown a bit faster and deeper than one without. Have ready and refrigerated one pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan and lattice strips to top (recipe below). You can blind bake if your recipe calls for it. More tips for a great homemade pie crustĪs always, chill your dough well before rolling and again before baking. Make the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the milk in a liquid measuring cup add a pinch of sugar and set aside until bubbly, about 7 minutes. To add yolk to your current recipe, just beat the yolk lightly and add to your dough after the butter has been cut into the dry ingredients, and before you start adding water, since your dough will need less moisture than usual because of the yolk addition. Yolk adds richness and helps with elasticity because the natural lecithin helps keep the crust pliable. Add the yolk of one large egg for a one-crust pie, two for a double-crust. The most important thing to add is an egg yolk. Related: Make-Ahead Thanksgiving: Freezer-Friendly Pies How many egg yolks should you add to your homemade pie crust recipe? Pie crusts with sugar added will have slightly less flake, since more of the water stays in the dough and does not become steam, but what you lose in flake you gain flavor and flexibility. Not only will sugar enhance flavor and browning, but it also helps keep the dough tender, because sugar attracts water.

Pie crust from scratch how to#

Related: How to Match Your Pie With the Right Crust How much sugar should you add to your homemade pie crust recipe?įor starters, if your current recipe contains no sugar, for starters add 1 tablespoon for a one-crust batch, or 2 tablespoons if your recipe makes enough for a double-crust pie.

Pie crust from scratch full#

You are adding just enough sugar and egg to get the benefit of workability in your dough, without the more intense sweetness or crisp bake of a full sablé dough, which doesn't work particularly well for double crust pies. Here's the culinary theory behind it all: These two hacks are going to bridge a gap between pâte brisée (traditional flaky pie crust) and pâte sablée (a sweet crust with both sugar and egg that is traditional for tarts). Add the water and gently combine with the Mix ‘N Scraper ®. Cut the butter into the flour with the Pastry Blender until the flour has turned a pale yellow and resembles a coarse crumble. Add the cubed butter to the flour and toss to coat. The secret to great homemade pie crustĪ little extra sugar and one egg yolk can make your pie crusts sing. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, and salt, and stir to combine. If you become a pie crust master (and have a lot of patience) you can use the crust decoratively to make a lattice top or pie crust cutouts.There is no shame in buying a good store-bought crust, but if you want to make yours from scratch but want a little insurance policy there are two things you can do to your current favorite pie crust recipe that will help. You can roll out one or both of them depending on the type of pie you are baking. Although most pie crust recipes call for shortening or butter, you can make a successful pie crust without either. You can crimp the edges or press them down with a fork for that classic pie look. Start slow with just 2 or 3 tablespoons and add more as. Next, add ice-cold water to your pastry mix. The first step in making pie crust is to quickly whisk together the salt and. I like to sprinkle those pie crust scraps with cinnamon and sugar and bake them for a little 'pre-pie' treat. Directions Step 1: Cut the butter into the flour. You can trim the edges from the pie crust to fit the pan if desired. I think people are sometimes intimidated by the idea of making pie crust and they shouldn't be. Once you master the crust, you can play around with all types of fillings. There is a certain amount of 'throw everything together and see how it comes out' with pies, which is probably why they are my favorite thing to bake. Pies are a little more forgiving than the average baked good. It demands a specific list of ingredients that need to be measured and added in a certain order and finished within an allotted time frame. I enjoy baking and really enjoy eating things that are baked, but I'm more of a 'throw everything in the pot and see how it comes out' type of cook.īaking requires much more precision than that. To be honest, I am not a baker by nature. It's official - Pie making season is here! And I couldn't be happier about it.