Basic Pie Crust with Butter Recipe - Making Life Delicious (2024)

FAQs

What are 2 disadvantages of using all butter in pie crust? ›

The cons: Butter can be harder to work with than lard or shortening because of its lower melting point, so the dough temperature has to be just right. If it gets too warm, it will be too soft to handle and will tear easily. Butter is a firmer fat, so if it's too cold, your dough will be more difficult to roll out.

Pie and tart doughs have so much butter in them that they almost self-grease as they bake. The butter melts and turns into steam and browns the bottoms making them crispy. If you add more grease into that situation, the texture of your pie crust may change in the oven. So you definitely don't want to overdo it.

The most likely theory, however, is that the butter was intended to melt and form a barrier between the filling and the crust that would prevent the filling from bubbling through air vents in the crust and spilling over. As anyone who has ever used butter in a pie filling can attest, this method often doesn't work.

This time, though, there was one very clear victor. Butter made a tastier, flakier, sturdier crust by far. This isn't to say that shortening and lard aren't useful ingredients. Shortening is a great way to get incredibly tender desserts.

Tough pie crusts are typically the result of working the dough too much (again, gluten). You don't need to make sure it's a perfectly uniform ball. “As long as the dough is mostly holding together, you don't need to spend a lot of time kneading it,” Susan Reid wrote for King Arthur Baking.

Shortening traps more air bubbles and has a higher melting point than butter, so recipes using shortening tend to produce baked goods with more lift and that hold their shape during baking. Interior texture will also be softer and lighter.

Too much butter in your baked goods would give them different texture (flat, greasy..).

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

Most instructions will have you defrost the crust, prick the bottom of the crust all over with the tines of a fork, and bake at 375°F to 450°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Should pie crust have chunks of butter? ›

The general rule of thumb is that smaller pieces of butter will result in a more mealy textured crust that holds up better to custard fillings. Larger chunks of butter will yield a flakier crust better suited for fruit fillings. Larger chunks also run the risk of creating pools of butter as your pie dough bakes.

With melted butter, your pie crust will be thicker, sturdier, and reminiscent of shortbread cookies: tender, buttery, and flavorful. A melted butter pie crust is a close cousin to Hot Water Pastry, but with some added sugar (for flavor) and a touch of baking powder (for a lighter texture).

Cold butter is the key to flaky crusts. Do not skip this step. You must put your butter in the freezer to get it nice and cold. Many people do not like working with frozen butter, but it makes all the difference in the world when you create your pie dough.

Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to overnight. Tip: Chilling hardens the fat in the dough, which will help the crust maintain its structure as it bakes. And the short rest before rolling relaxes the dough's gluten, helping prevent a tough crust.

After you've formed and crimped the crust into your pie plate or tart pan, simply use the tines of a fork to prick holes all over. (Don't forget the sides!) Then proceed with baking as instructed, leaving you with a pristine, crisp crust for all of your pie and tart needs.

Using rolling pin, roll out dough “disc” into a circle. Every few rolls, turn dough slightly to ensure it's not sticking to counter or pin, and to get the most even circle possible. Roll until it's about 12 inches across (unless directed otherwise) and about 1/8 of an inch thick.