The Perfect Double 9 Inch Pie Crust

Making pie crust from scratch is not something to be feared. For years, I only used store bought crusts. I tried a few times to make crust from scratch, but failed miserably. Then one day, I decided that I would no longer fear the pie crust and make it from scratch. It also helped that I was given a family recipe. I use this crust for all of my fruit pies, as well as pot pies, quiches, and mini tarts. My first couple of crusts, were not quite right, and I quickly learned that it is not just the recipe that makes a good crust, it is also how it is mixed together that determines how the crust will turn out.

1. Mix flour and salt together in a medium to large sized bowl. It helps to have a large bowl when you start tossing everything together.

2. Add shortening to flour and salt. Start mixing the crust by first cutting the shortening with a butter knife approximately 6-7 times to make smaller chunks of shortening, covering it with flour as you go. Once you have several smaller pieces start mixing everything together with the pastry cutter or fork, gently tossing until the shortening is mixed with the flour to form small pea sized pieces.

3. Add 2-3 Tablespoons of ice water, tossing all ingredients together. Add more ice water 1 Tablespoon at time until the dough starts to get thick and sticks together well. No more than a total of 6 Tablespoons of water will be needed.

4. At this point, put down the pastry cutter or fork and quickly squeeze and blend with your hands, without over kneading. The more you work the dough, the tougher it will get. The dough will look flaky and crumbly, but will stick together well when squeezed tightly.

5. Separate the dough into two balls. Flatten them both out with your hands, as if you are making a burger patty. They are now ready to be rolled into pie crusts.

6. Sprinkle your work surface with a dusting of flour to keep the dough from sticking. Center the larger of the crusts in your work area and starting with the center of the crust push outward in all directions. Do not start on the edge of the crust and push from one end to the other. Pushing from the center will keep the crust round.

7. For a 9-inch crust, you want to make the crust larger than 9 inches so that you have room to work with and center into the pie pan. You will also be folding the bottom crust over the edge of the top crust to help seal the pie and keep dripping from seeping out.

8. If you are using a large rolling pin, the easiest way to pick up the crust is to start at one edge of the crust and gently wrap the crust around the pin. After that, you will place the edge of the crust just over the edge of the pie pan and slowly unroll it. If you are using a smaller pastry roller, you can fold the crust in half and then in half again, making a triangle.

Place the pointed end of the crust in the center of the pie dish and unfold the crust. With both methods, you may need to shift the crust around a bit to center it. Trim all overly extra crust and add it to the smaller crust.

9. Follow the directions for whatever flavor pie you are making and fill the bottom crust with filling.

10. Sprinkle your work area with more flour and roll out the top crust. It should be 9 inches or just a wee bit bigger, but not nearly as much as your bottom crust.

11. Place the top crust on your pie and center it. Fold the bottom crust up over the top crust and pinch the two crusts together to seal them. Finish off the crust by poking a few small holes in the crust with a fork or tip of a knife.

12. Bake as directed for your specific pie.

Follow these steps and you will get the perfect pie crust every time!