This Flaky Buttery Apple Pie Crust recipe is beyond my expectations. The foundation of a good pie starts with a good crust.
Tips and Substitutions
After practicing to make the perfect pie crust, I can finally share with you the perfect apple pie crust. I tried some ingredients and play around with the measurements until I achieve the taste and texture of what we are trying to get. I am happy to share some of the tips I learned.
Always keep the dough ingredients cold. It is important to chill your flour in the fridge and always use cold water.
Do not over-knead your dough. Over-kneading creates gluten and we wanted to achieve that flaky pie crust instead of developing gluten.
Shortening is my preferred fat ingredient and I can tell the difference between shortening and butter when it comes to pie but butter or margarine and or the combination of both will work too. It all depends on your preference.
Use your food processor. Use it if you have one it will eliminate elbow grease in mixing all the ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the Dough ahead?
Make the dough ahead and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for about 3 months. Make the dough ahead and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for about 3 months. Make sure to wrap it with plastic or put it in an air-tight container to eliminate freezer burn. Thaw it overnight in the fridge if frozen.
How to Make the Apple Pie Crust Dough?
- Prepare and measure your 4 ingredients for the dough. I like to refrigerate or freeze my flour and shortening for 10 minutes to chill and achieve that flaky texture of the dough.
- In a bowl, combine flour, salt and half of your shortening.
- Mix well until very fine. Add the remaining shortening and mix until it is pieces about the size of a garden pea. Slowly add cold water not warm or room temperature and blend until all the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Work the dough just enough to form a ball shape and cut it in half. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate to chill for 45 minutes to overnight. If you are in a rush, you can freeze your dough for 15 minutes or until it is chill. Do not skip this if you want light and flaky apple pie crust.
- Sprinkle some flour on the surface. Take one of the dough from the fridge roll it out using a rolling pin or empty wine bottle to a 12-inch circle (about ⅛-inch thick). Be sure to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below — add a small amount of flour when necessary.
- Transfer dough to dish, starting at one end, roll dough around rolling pin then unroll over dish.
How to make Apple Pie Filling?
- Peel and slice your apples into bite size. I tried using granny smith, fuji, pink lady and honey crisp but the latter is my best choice because of the sweetness. You can have fun and slice it however you fancy. In a mixing bowl, combine sliced apples, pumpkin spice powder, white and brown sugar. Mix well until everything is well combined.
- Transfer immediately into the apple pie dish. You do not need to cook your apples otherwise it will turn soft, mushy or soggy.
Start rolling your second dough using your rolling pin to flatten the dough and transfer it into the dish. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar. Feel Free to design your pie and make sure to let some of the steam escape by cutting 3 to 4 slits on top of the pie.
Flaky Apple Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Apple Pie Crust Dough
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5-6 tablespoons cold water
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar or white sugar
Apple Pie Filling
- 4-5 large apples
- 1 ½ tablespoons pumpkin spice powder
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine your flour, salt and half of the shortening and mix well until very fine. Add the remaining shortening and mix until it is in pieces about the size of garden pea. Add a few tablespoons of water and blend until all the dry ingedients are moistened.
- Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Work the dough just enough to form a ball. Cut the ball in half then wrap each dough with plastic wrap and let it chilli in the fridge for at least 45 minutes to overnight or freezer for 15 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees fahreinheit or 220 degrees Celcius.
- Peel and slice your apples into bite size. In a bowl, combine your apples, pumpkin spice powder, brown and white sugar. Mix everything until well combined. Set it aside.
- Remove one of the dough discs out from the refrigerator. Let it set for few minutes if needed. Lightly sprinkle some flour on the surface and roll it using rolling pin until completely flatten. Sprinkle more flour on the top if needed.
- Start at one end, roll dough around rolling pin then unroll over your pie dish to transfer. Use colander to gather excess juice and discard. Toss your apple pie filling into the dish. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to your filling.
- Roll your second dough using the exact method from the first one. Brush it with melted butter and sprinkle brown sugar. Design and make sure to cut some slits on the top dough for the heat to escape inside the filling.
- Bake it in 425 degrees fahrenheit or 220 degrees celcius for 15 minutes and lower it down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celcius for 35-45 minutes or until the top crust is golden brown. Cool completely before slicing.
Ana
Thanks for this tummy apple pie recipe. So delicious