Simple Pie Crust (made with shortening and butter)
on Jan 13, 2010, Updated Jun 28, 2024
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This Perfect Pie Crust (made with shortening and butter) comes together with just a few ingredients, one of which may just surprise you: vinegar.
Oh my goodness, is this perfect pie crust flaky! It may even be flakier than that friend who ALWAYS reschedules dinner plans. (You know the one!) Funny enough, this thick and decadent crust only requires a few simple ingredients: flour, shortening, butter (if you want), milk, and vinegar. It’s not a typo! This ingredient will end up making this pie crust the one you’ll want to always make from here on out, guaranteed! A pie with this would pair well with this Chocolate Ice Cream, or this whipped cream you can make here.
Table of Contents:
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- It’s flaky and delicious
- Its easier to make than you’d think
- It will take your pies to the next level
- Only four ingredients!
Ingredients:
- Flour
- Shortening– or you can use half shortening and half butter if preferred
- Vinegar
- Milk
See recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
Frequently Asked Questions:
Vinegar actually makes pie crust dough so much easier to work with. It tenderizes the dough, and hinders gluten development just slightly, which results in crusty, flaky goodness.
To avoid a soggy pie crust , you can try pre-baking the crust, or blind baking it for a bit before adding the fillings. Another way to keep sogginess away is by brushing the crust with egg to create a barrier between the pie crust and filling. It’s also important to keep out as much moisture as possible, so if you’re making a fruit pie, let the raw fruit sit with some sugar to extract any extra moisture.
It’s vital to mix your flour with the butter and shortening until the fat is finely crumbled to small pieces no bigger than a pea. This will help you avoid big sections of dry flour in the dough, which can make the pie crust hard when baked.
More Pie Recipes to Consider:
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Homemade Coconut Cream Pie
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Perfect Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup shortening, you can also use half shortening and half butter
- 2 tablespoons vinegar + enough milk to make 1/2 cup
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, cut shortening into flour until it resembles fine crumbles, with pieces no bigger than a pea.
- Make a well in the center, and add milk-vinegar mixture.
- Stir just until the dough forms a ball.
- Use for your favorite pie.
- Makes one very thick pie crust for top and bottom of a 9-inch pie.
Notes
-
The vinegar is the secret here. Instead of helping the shortening stick to the flour, it almost repels the two, making the flakiest of flaky crusts.
- Recipe from my friend, David Hunt.
