So what goes into making a great pie crust

Photo courtesy of the Pioneer Woman Website

So after cranking out an excellent pie crust this past weekend courtesy of The Pioneer Woman's Cookbook, it got me to wondering what makes for a great pie crust. What do you need to get a flaky, rich, tender pie crust like the one in her recipe? Well I consulted my copy of Understanding Baking: The Art and Science of Baking 3rd edition, a great book for anyone who is serious about baking and here is what it had to say.

• The type of fat you use in making pie crust is critical. Fats that remain solid at room temperature (such as lard or vegetable shortening) make for the flakiest crusts. Oil on the other had coats the flour preventing gluten from forming and thus results in a crust that is crumbly and too tender.
• Butter gives a pie dough a better taste, however it has more water and less fat than vegetable shortening or lard. Butter also needs to be kept very cold so that it will hold its shape in the dough until it sets and won't melt in the flour. This is critical since a flaky crust is the result of fat melting in the crust during baking leaving air space behind which makes the pie crust flake.
• Ingredients which are highly acidic such as vinegar, lemon juice, or sour cream make the crust tender by aiding in the break down of gluten proteins.
• Protein from dairy products such as egg promotes browning.
• Ingredients should be as cold as possible when combining to promote a flaky crust
• A minimum amount of water should be used since water contributes to gluten formation which can toughen the crust. (So its too much water that makes a pie crust tough!)
• Refrigerating the dough for several hours or overnight after mixing and forming into discs allows the dough to become hydrated which makes it easier to roll, prevents shrinkage when baking, and adds to better quality in taste.
• When working with doughs rich in butter they should be chilled after rolling which prevents the fat from melting too quickly in the baking process.

So Pioneer's woman has all the ingredients to make delicious crust: a fat that is solid at room temperature, minimal water, and acid that aids in tenderness, a protein that promotes browning, and refrigerating the dough to allow for hydration.

Hope this helps you in making better pie crust.