Perfect Tender Flaky Pie Crust

ajena's kitchen's Note:

I am so happy! Long story short..This recipe is the only recipe for pie crust that has worked perfectly for me every time. I have been making it now for over 30 years. We moved and I thought it was lost. Have tried many since, trying to replace this one. Today my husband found the lost recipe. Posting here for safe keeping. From a very old and well used Betty Crocker cookbook.

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 6-8

Yield: 10.0 inch 2 ...

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil or 3/4 cup canola oil
• 4 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

1. Measure flour and salt into bowl. Add oil; mix with a fork, until particals are the size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until flour is moistened and dough almost cleans the sides of the bowl. (If dough seems too dry, 1 to 2 tablespoons oil can be added. Do not add water.If dough seems a bit too wet, add a tiny bit of additional flour).Gather dough together;PRESS FIRMLY INTO A BALL. After pressing firmly into a ball,the less the dough is handled the more flaky the crust will be.
2. Divide dough in half ; place one half cut side down and flatten into a round. Roll each round of dough between two sheets of wax paper. Gently peel off one sheet of wax paper and turn dough upside down. Peel off remaining sheet of wax paper after placing bottom crust into pan leaving a 1/2 inch overlap around pan edge.( Fill with desired pie filling.) Repeat with top crust rolling out same as bottom crust leaving 1 inch overhang around pan edge). Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on the rim to seal; flute edges as desired.
3. Cut slits to vent steam in top of pie. I usually moisten my hands with a little water and dab across top crust. Sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar across the top of the pie, but not on the fluted areas of crust. Bake as directed following your pie recipe.
4. *Do not use quick mixing flour in this recipe. If using self-rising flour,omit the salt. Pie crusts made with self-rising flour will differ in flavor and texture from those made with regular flour. (I always use regular flour.).
5. Lots of people say they can't make a good pie crust. You can using this recipe,just work with the dough. It may take a time or two, until you become used to making the dough and working with it. Just remember to press the dough into a firm ball before rolling it out between the wax paper sheets. Another small bonus for me is that it uses oil instead of hydrogenated fats.

Reviews

[Chef #1497993]

I still have my old Betty Crocker cookbook from 1965, the year we were married. I have used this recipe all those years and have NEVER had this crust not turn out perfectly. It's the only one my family wants me to use for pies.

[Chef #1447520]

Thank you for publishing this! I used this recipe all the time as a kid to make pie crust, I could never understand why adults were so amazed with my crusts, until I tried to make a more traditional recipe with butter/lard, what a bunch of work that is. The pie is in the oven right now, but this recipe worked just as I remembered, easy as pie! Although, I think the admonition to use oil if the ball won't come together is incorrect, I always use a little extra sprinkle of ice water, once the flour is coated with oil, and water is added, you cannot get more oil to absorb.

[Chef #1413366]

I, too, used to make this recipe regularly, but then lost my Betty Crocker cookbook during a move. I was so happy to see it posted here. I made it three times this year and everyone raves about how flaky and tasty the crust is! Not sure why the one other reviewer couldn't get her dough to stick together. Unless she didn't use ice water? Now if I could only find the one-crust recipe...