Creating the Perfect Crust

I’ve only been baking for a short while, but when I'm passionate about something, I pursue it! While apple pie is my specialty, I take pride in a good-looking crust. It is important to know that baking isn’t always just following a recipe. Whether it’s homemade or store-bought, a crust can be especially tricky to master. With that being said, I'll walk you through it step-by-step to ensure your success.

---

Ingredients

2 lbs flour

2 tsp salt

3 cups (20oz) Crisco

⅔ cups (or more) ice water

1) Gather dry ingredients first; mix salt and flour in a large mixing bowl. You can even sift the two together for best results.

2) Mix Crisco into flour and salt and mix with hands or pastry blender until fine crumbs are produced. It won’t look like dough at this point, but that’s okay.

3) Pour in ice water little by little; a cold temperature is CRUCIAL. Without ice, the fat will melt and make it impossible to stick together. If the temperature is correct but it still won’t stick, consider adding more water. Some batches will take more than others.

4) Mix until thoroughly blended, but absolutely do NOT over-handle it. Too much mixing will result in a dry, ruined crust. This is probably the most important step of all. No pressure, but a mistake at this point can make or break your crust!

5) Separate into eight balls of dough, preparing each one to be refrigerated or frozen before use. You can store them in cling wrap or freezer bags, either works just fine. When you produce a good batch and conditions are favorable, it’s best to make a decent quantity for easy access in the future.

**The shelf life of this pastry crust is one year, but I guarantee that once you taste it, it’ll be gone in no time!**

---

A common misconception is that pie has to be sweet. Wrong! This crust recipe works with anything. Chicken Pot pie and Shepherd's pie are just two examples of a savory twist on this dish. Regardless of the flavor, size is another factor to consider. If you intend to have a bake sale or share with friends, personal sized goodies are always best.

Once you’ve included your choice of filling, you’re ready for the fun part: the top crust! My favorite variation (the lattice weave) is most certainly time consuming, but guaranteed to wow the skeptics. This is what you bring to a holiday dinner at the in-law’s, or a boss that needs impressing. If it isn't beautiful in the beginning, practice can only help your process! After all, this is what my first pie looked like:

The lattice weave begins with a large rolling pin and pizza cutter. Use the cutter to make strips similar in size and length. Place strips one by one, horizontal and then vertical until you reach the outer border of the pan. There’s a little bit of choice in how you finish off the strips’ edges but I personally prefer to fold them under for a sharper look after baking.

If you’re pressed for time but still want to make a good impression, a fail-proof option is the classic one-piece top. To make it your own, simply cut out any design as shown below. I prefer to leave as much crust as possible on the pie, so I minimize cut-outs, re-roll, and add whatever I took off back to the top in another area as shown in the blue pan below.

Perfection doesn’t happen overnight, but following this age-old recipe should lead you in the right direction!