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Pies are my favorite.  Caramely pecan, juicy peach, tart and sweet cherry – YUM!  The key of course is the perfect flaky pie crust.  Making pie dough can be intimidating though, so here are a few tips to help you make the best pie crust you’ve ever had!

• I use a combo of shortening and butter for my dough.  The butter for flavor and flakiness, the shortening for tenderness and it also makes the dough easier to roll out.
• Make sure your butter is cold and don’t overwork the dough!  Big chunks of butter are what makes the dough flaky.  If your butter gets too warm stick your bowl in the fridge for a few minutes.
• Add a little less water then the recipe calls for to start off.  You can always add more if the dough is a little dry.
• Don’t worry about making your dough smooth.  Chunky is great!  At this point you just need the dough evenly mixed with no dry bits.  Gather it up into a ball and wrap it up.
• Let it rest in the fridge before rolling out.  This will give the gluten in the flour time to relax and make rolling it easier.
• Pie dough freezes great!  Make extra, wrap it well, and stick it in the freezer for another time.

• Use lots of flour so your dough doesn’t stick to your rolling pin and board.
• Pat out your dough to a circle before rolling.
• Roll the dough out from your body then rotate the dough 1/4 turn.  Repeat and you should get a pretty even circle.  Keep on flouring if it gets sticky!
• (Look at those big chunks of butter!  Future flakiness in store!)

• To help transfer your dough to your pie plate fold in quarters then set in your dish.  I like using a pyrex dish so you can check the browning of the crust while it’s baking.
• Lift the dough around the edges to help it settle in instead of pressing it so you don’t stretch the dough.

• I kept this pie pretty simple by just folding the edges over “galette” style.  You can find lots of pretty ways to finish your pies on pinterest and you tube!
• I like to brush my crust with egg wash to help it brown, and finish with a sprinkling of raw sugar for crunch.

• Golden brown deliciousness!  If your crust browns too quickly in the oven but your filling isn’t ready, cover your pie up with aluminum foil to stop the browning.

I hope that helps in your quest for perfectly flaky and delicious pie crust!  Happy baking!