Basic Pie Crust

This basic pie crust is flaky, easy to make and complementary to just about any kind of pie you’re making. I’ve gone through phases where I have been intimidated by pie crusts and have opted to just buy pre-made crusts instead. The options for vegan pre-made pie crusts are a bit more limited than the non-vegan variety, which can pose a problem on occasion. Some vegan pie crust recipes have almost a dozen ingredients and are more complicated to make. But pie crust doesn’t have to be difficult! In fact, the funny thing is that every time I actually make a crust, I remember that it’s not that difficult at all and I have trouble recalling what all the fuss was about. 

The Recipe

Makes 1 9-inch pie crust

1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1 cup all purpose, 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I use Spectrum’s All-Vegetable Shortening)

4-6 Tablespoons ice water 

Note: Pie crust dough should be handled as little as possible. The more you handle it, the tougher it will be. This recipe is for 1 9-inch pie crust. If you’re making a pie that requires a top, double the recipe.  

Chill the 1/2 cup of vegetable shortening. While the shortening is chilling, measure the flour and the salt into a large mixing bowl. With a knife, cut the chilled shortening into small pieces. Add to the flour mixture and cut in with a knife, or your fingers. You want some small, pea-sized lumps of shortening to remain, but there should be no large lumps. These small lumps help to make the crust more flaky and light. Add the water a tablespoon at a time and combine with a fork. I usually end up using the larger quantity of water for this recipe, but the idea is that you want to add only enough so that the dough holds together when press together with your hands. Gently shape the dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap or parchment paper.

Place in the fridge for 1 hour or, if you’re in a rush–the freezer for about 10 minutes or so (of course, if you place it in the freezer, keep your eye on it! You don’t want it to actually start to freeze!). When the dough is chilled, lay out a piece of parchment or plastic wrap on a clean surface. Unwrap the dough ball and place it on the parchment. Cover with a second piece of parchment or plastic wrap and gently roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Start rolling out from the center of the dough and roll gently until the dough is even and rolled out to about 1/4 inch thick or less.

Remove one piece of the parchment or plastic wrap and lay the exposed side into a 9-inch pie dish.

Now you can peel the other piece of parchment or plastic wrap off of the top of the crust. [Note: if you have made a second crust for the top, add the pie filling at this point and then cover the filling with the second crust before continuing on with the instructions.] Cut excess crust from the edges and pinch the edges of the crust in as uniform a way as possible to finish the crust. Now the crust is ready for your pie filling:

Bake according to the recipe for the pie you are making. If you have excess pie crust, you can lay the extra bits in a pan, sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar, and bake for about 10 minutes alongside your pie: