Basic Pie Crust

By srumbel

My basic pie crust that I have been using for years. Flavorful and flaky - just like a pie crust should be!

from tasteandtellblog.com

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• dash of sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vinegar

Details

Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 120mins

Preparation

Step 1

1.Whisk together the flour, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. With a pastry cutter, cut the shortening and butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea sized pieces of butter.
2.Lightly beat the egg, then add it to the water and vinegar. Add the water to the dry ingredients and mix just until the dough comes together. Divide in half, then form into 2 discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes.
3.Once chilled, remove one disc at a time and roll out into a 12-inch circle. (I like to do this between 2 sheets of waxed paper so that I don't have to flour the work surface.) Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie dish. Trim the edges and crimp. Poke the bottom of the pie crust with a fork several times.
4.For a fully baked crust: Preheat oven to 350F. Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Fill with pie weights or dried beans, about half to 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the paper and weights. Return the crust to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes

*This recipe makes 2 crusts, but is hard to half since it only calls for one egg. If not using both crusts, you can freeze the second crust until needed.