Pie Crust

You don’t need to use shortening to make pie crust. Shortening is bad for you…try this canola oil crust instead! I have received much praise for my pie crust…

To make the best pie crust, all liquid ingredients (oil and water) should be cold. Ideally, you should be storing your oil in the fridge anyhow, because it quickly goes rancid at room temperature. I also store my flour in the freezer. Some of the suggestions in here may seem fussy or strange, but they are culled from various tips and tricks I’ve read about, and there’s a logical reason for all of them.

By Alyssa McFarland

One crust pie:

1 cup unsifted flour (I use unbleached white)

½ tsp. salt

1/3 cup cold canola oil

2 Tbsp. cold water

(double the above recipe for two crust pie)

Put rolling board/mat and rolling pin in the freezer or fridge.

Heat oven to 450 degrees F for one crust pie, 425 degrees F for a two crust pie, or set oven temperature according to the recipe you’re following that uses this crust.

Measure flour, level off with spatula, no sifting. Mix flour and salt.

Blend in oil, sprinkle all of cold water over mixture (use spray bottle, if you have one); mix well with a fork. Stop mixing when dough comes together. Press dough firmly into ball with hands. (If too dry, add 1- 2 Tbsp more oil).

Roll immediately into a 12” circle between 2 pieces of waxed paper or parchment paper. Refrigerate the rolled disc for at least 25 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate and the gluten structure to relax. It is important to refrigerate AFTER rolling.

(Now is a good time to prep your pastry filling.)

Remove crust from fridge. Peel off top paper from rolled crust, place pastry in pan, paper side up. Peel off paper, fit pastry loosely in pan. Prick the bottom of the crust a few times with the fork. Fill. Cover with the other crust. Make the crust edge pretty, if desired.

Bake 12-15 minutes or fill and bake according to filling instructions.

Variation: Use cold orange juice instead of cold water.