The Flakiest Pie Crust

Submitted by laurenlikesfood

"Making homemade pie crust is finally worth it! My grandmother found this recipe in a newspaper years ago. It is similar to other vinegar pie crust recipes but uses apple cider vinegar along with a combination of butter and shortening. The result is tender, extremely flaky crust with just enough flavor to compliment any pie. This recipe yields 6 large portions so you can put what you don't need in plastic baggies and freeze for a later date. Enjoy!"

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Yields: 6 crusts

ingredients

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1⁄2 cups Crisco
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2⁄3 - 3⁄4 cup cold water

directions

1. In a large bowl, sift flour with sugar and salt.
2. Cut in shortening and butter. Pea-sized chunks are fine, but slightly larger chunks will really make a difference.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and vinegar. Add 2/3 cup of water (more if you live in a dry climate, and less if it is a particularly humid day). You can always add tablespoons of water to the dough later.
4. Pour the liquids mixture into flour/butter mixture. Stir together and add a little water if necessary. Mixture should be just moist enough for you to form it into a ball. *Note: I like to have just enough moisture so crumbs in the bowl will stick to the dough if you pat them on.
5. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 MINUTES - this allows the gluten to develop and the dough to get a bit flakier :). (Or so Grandma says.).
6. Divide into 6 pieces, use what you need, and flatten the rest into 1/4" disks (or 1/8" if you really want to have an easy time thawing the dough). Put them in the freezer and thaw when needed (or just wanted)!

Reviews

[Tinkerbell]

Excellent! I loved the combo of shortening & butter, as it created the ultimate pie crust! It's extra flaky, easy to handle & I love that it's an OAMC recipe. I made one batch, baked two pies & now have 4 crusts ready to go for next time! DH, who never eats pie crust, tried this one & actually enjoyed it. We love that this crust is not too dry & crumbly. The final product is a flaky, velvetty texture. I love this recipe & will continue to make it in the future. Thanks so much for sharing it, Icedcacti! :) Made & enjoyed with recipe #321465 & recipe #273321 for Fall 2009 Pick A Chef.

 

[55tbird]

This is very flaky, easy to work with pie crust..Will definitely use this recipe every time I make pie from now on.