Everything You've Wanted to Know About Pie Crusts but Were Afraid to Ask

1. Preparing The Flour For Your Gourmet Crust.
All-purpose flour is the best choice for pies. You may choose to add a small portion of cake or pastry flour for tenderness. For a double-pie crust, use two cups flour -or use three cups to give you leeway and to allow plenty of scraps for pie decorations. Stir in salt to flavor - usually 1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour. Sugar is optional. Use two tablespoons sugar per cup of flour.

2. Is It Better With Butter?
BeyondGourmet.com's motto is it is better with butter! Solid vegetable oil makes a slightly shorter or more tender pie crust, but unsalted butter tastes better. Give up those few extra calories when making your crust. Use butter! The butter should be refrigerated so that it does not soften and make your dough greasy. If you still insist on using the vegetable shortening -- just remember, most bakers agree that a lard crust is tops in texture, but last in consumer acceptance when it comes to taste.

3. What Amount Of Butter Or Shortening Should Be Used?
Fat coats the flour particles, preventing the gluten formation that would make a tough crust. Doughs with a high proportion of fat tend to be the most tender and crumbly. We recommend 1/2 cup butter for each cup of flour. If you decide to use shortening, use 1/3 cup shortening to 1 cup flour.

4. Incorporation Time!
The butter or shortening needs to be incorporated -but not too much. Marbling unincorporated streaks of fat in the dough makes the flaky texture that pie perfectionists look for. Use both hands to work the butter/shortening into the flour, briskly massaging the dough as if snapping all fingers. Within a minute or two, the dough will look like fine breadcrumbs with just a few pea-size pieces. Make sure that your hands are not too warm. Warm hands are not good for the dough. If you have extremely warm hands, use two table knives or more effectively, an inexpensive hand-held pastry blender to cut the butter/shortening into the flour. You can also use a KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment and the power setting on low or a food processor on "pulse" mode. Mix until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.

5. Water-The Rule Of Thumb
The rule of thumb for pies is for every 1 cup of flour use 2 tablespoons of ice water. This can vary depending on how much moisture is in the butter/shortening of the mix. Add your water gradually. Mix until your dough comes together. Make sure not to over mix your dough.

6. Chilling Out Period
Some professional pastry chefs prefer not to chill their dough. The reason for chilling the dough is to allow the butter/shortening time to relax and firm up, making the dough easier to roll out. This not a necessary step unless it is a particularly warm day, then it would be necessary to chill the dough for an hour or two. If the dough does need a "chilling out" period, divide the dough into two parts. Then flatten into two round disks. Wrap each disk separately using waxed paper and place into the refrigerator. If the dough does not need the "chilling out" period - go straight to step 7.

7. Rolling With The Dough
There is not right or wrong type of rolling mechanism to use. Some bakers use the traditional wooden rolling pin and others use a pin with handles and plastic ball bearings, and let's not forget the plastic rolling pin that is filled with water. In a pinch, some bakers have been known to use a wine bottle (just make sure to take the label off - the colors may run onto your pie dough). It's up to your discretion. Whatever makes your rolling experience more comfortable. Make sure your dough is divided in half. Make the halves into circular disks, then place the disk on a floured surface, (a kitchen table, a large cutting board, a wooden pastry board, or a counter top surface). Carefully and lightly place the rolling pin in the center of one of the patties and push/roll the dough out. Roll away from yourself. Make sure your stop at least 1/4 inch from the edge. Then lift the dough and give it a 1/4 turn. Make sure to flour the surface the dough is on as well as the pin if sticking is a problem. . Repeat the rolling and turning as often as necessary until the dough is approximately 1/8 inch thick and an at least 2 inches larger in diameter than your baking pan. When done, place the rolled dough aside and do the same for the second patty of dough.

8. No Scraps About It
Even the best bakers have scraps. There are so many ways you may use your scraps. Some bakers roll out the scraps then use cookie cutters to cut out designs to place on top of the pie. Others use a knife and cut out their own designs. Some just discard the extra pieces. Whichever you decide -have fun with it! When done making your designs, set them aside for when the top of the pie has been fastened. Then with a little water, adhere your designs to the top of your pie.

9. Glass Or Tin?
That Is The Question There is no right or wrong answer to this one. Just two choices; glass or aluminum tin. Try to avoid the disposable aluminum pans, they are flimsy and might be a bit risky. With glass, you can see the bottom of your pie crust -to ensure that it is a nice golden brown. With tin, it is believed that the metal conducts heat better than glass, and will give your pie a crispier bottom crust. The choice is yours.

10. How To Move Your Dough
If butter was used, your dough will be more fragile. In this case it is recommended to fold it in quarters, then unfold it in the pan -while gently pressing the bottom dough into place. Don't stretch it into the pan; this will cause shrinkage in baking. If shortening was used, your dough will be sturdier and you will be able to lift it in the pan and place accordingly. With a knife or pair of scissors, cut off the extra edges. Leave enough so that 1/8-inch hangs over the edges.

11. Fruity Business
You will need at least 6-7 cups of fruit for a 9-inch pie. If you overfill your pie, it may burst! You will want to choose fruit that is ripe and a bit firm. You don't want your pie to be mushy or overly juicy. If you choose berries, spread them out and examine them for bits of stems, leaves and mold. When washing your berries, be very gentle and quick about it. You don't want to wash away the flavor. Our recommendation is to place the berries in a bowl. Fill the bowl with water. Quickly remove the berries from the water and place on a towel-lined tray to dry. Once the berries are dry, place them into a large bowl. The amount of sugar you'll use varies according to your taste and the tartness of the fruit, but generally 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar is recommended. Spread the sugar over the berries and lightly stir. If you choose peaches, you will have to decide whether to peel them or not. If you choose to peel your peaches, - blanch them in boiling water for a minute or two. This will make the peaches easier to peel. For peeled or unpeeled peaches, slice them approximately 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with 1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar, depending on their ripeness and your taste. Do not let the sugar sit on the fruit for more than 10 minutes before filling your pie or the fruit will begin to produce too much juice.

12. In The Thick Of It
Which thickening agent do you use? This is an age-old question with different age-old answers. You can use flour, cornstarch, and even tapioca. The flour produces a cloudy gel while the cornstarch sets clear but produces a pudding-like texture and is not to everyone's liking. Tapioca also sets clear, but produces a gelatinous texture. It is your decision. If you decide to use flour, add 1/3 cup of flour for every seven cups of sugared fruit. If you choose cornstarch and tapioca use 2 tablespoons of each for every six cups of sugared fruit.

13. Put A Lid On It
Place your mixed pie filling in the dough pie dish. Remember, the fruit juices bubble, so you do not want to overfill. Fill right up to the rim. The pie juices will leak out of a pie no matter what, but sealing the top crust will minimize leakage. When setting the top crust in place, leave at least one inch of an over-hang. Lift the edge of the bottom crust and fold the edge of the top crust underneath, pressing the two together to seal. You may wish to crimp the edges for a pretty finish. Next, cut about 6-8 small slits in the top crust with the tip of a knife. This will allow the steam from the fruit to escape without causing an explosion in your oven. If you decided to make designs out of those scraps, now is the time to place them on your pie. With a little water, they should stick to the top of your pie. Make sure not to cover the slits.

14. Patty Cake Patty Cake -How Many Minutes Does A Pie Take?
Place the oven rack in the middle slot in your oven. Heat your oven at 400-425 degrees -. Fruit pies will foil your best efforts and spill sticky juices on your oven floor so it is recommended to bake your pie on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake the pie for about 10 to 15 minutes at this temperature - this will give your crust a head start. Then reduce the heat to 325 degrees. This will allow the filling to catch up and bake through without burning the crust. A 9-inch double-crusted pie (i.e. top and bottom crust) will take as long as 90 minutes. Apple pies may take 15-30 minutes longer. You can use a skewer to test whether the fruit is tender, but you'll know your pie is done if the fruit juices coming up through the vents are thick and bubbling slowly.

15. Cooling Off Period
Once the pie is taken out of the oven, it needs a cooling off period. Place the pie on a cooling rack -or on an open window ledge. Let the smell fill the kitchen (you will be the most popular person on the block!) As the pie cools, the juices will thicken, making it easier to cut a nice slice with just the right about of ooze. Let your pie cool off for at least 1-2 hours.

16. Shelf Life
Most people do not have to worry about this, especially when a homemade pie is lurking around. But, just in case, a fruit pie doesn't have a long shelf life. The juicy filling quickly makes the crust soggy. If you can't eat it the day that it is made, cover it with a cake cover and finish it the next day. If it won't be finished the next day either, for best results cover it and refrigerate it. Reheat it a little before serving it again. The shelf life of homemade pie is no more than one week.