Perfect Baked Pie Crust

  • Prep 25 min
  • Total 1 hr 15 min
  • Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 3 to 5 tablespoons ice-cold water

Steps

  • 1
    Heat oven to 475°F. Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
  • 2
    Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
  • 3
    Roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired. Prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with fork.
  • 4
    Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown; cool on wire rack.

  • For tender, flaky crusts, choose heat-resistant glass pie plate or aluminum pie pans with a dull finish. Shiny pie pans are not recommended because they reflect heat, causing a soggy bottom crust.
  • The best way to measure flour is to first stir the flour a bit before spooning into the measuring cup. Fill until heaping and then sweep the excess off the top with the flat edge of a butter knife.
  • Pricking the bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with a fork prevents crust from puffing while baking.
  • Overworking the pastry dough will make it tough—handle it as little as possible.
  • To flute pastry, place thumb and index finger about 1 inch apart on outside of raised edge. With other index finger, push pastry toward outside, continuing around edge, repeating motion, to form decorative edge.

Nutrition Facts are not available for this recipe
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