How to make Pie Dough

Hello my crafty friends, happy Saturday to you all! We have a rainy dreary day here today, but we need the rain, so I say bring it on, just not to much. lol I have had some requests on how to make pie dough. So I"m here today to show you how! Now I will have to warn you that this will be pic heavy! I want you all to see all the steps and what they look like, so that's why all the pictures. So lets get on with it!

I am using a Kitchen Aid Heavy Duty mixer with the dough hook. I used to make my pie dough by hand until my hubby gave me this awesome mixer for Christmas years ago. 

You will need 2 cups of flour, 1 tsp. salt and 3/4 cup of Crisco. I use the Crisco sticks because they are so much easier to measure. I cut it up into smaller chunks and throw it in with the flour and salt. Start mixing on low speed.

While it is mixing up, I use my spatula and help push the Crisco into the hook to mix into smaller pieces. 

In this picture you can see what your mix should look like once all the Crisco has been worked into the flour. Those little pea sized balls is the Crisco. 

Now you will need your ice water. Your water should be very cold. Start by adding a tablespoon at a time. I usually add 5 tablespoons, but if is humid, I will cut it back, if we are having dry weather, I will add to it. So start out with 4 tablespoons and then check the dough. If it is soft and holding together without crumbling, you are good to go. If it doesn't add some more water. This is where you will eventually learn the feel of the dough and if it is right or not. 

You are going to mix on medium low until all the dough pulls away from the side of the mixer bowl and is one lump as show in the pictures below. Don't over mix the dough, it will make it tough. As soon as the dough comes together stop your machine. 

Divide your dough in half as this recipe makes two pie crusts, or one bottom and one top. I get them shaped into a circle to start rolling with. 

As you can see, I use a pie rolling mat to roll my dough on, but when I started out making pie dough I didn't have one and just rolled it out on my counter. If it is in your funds to get one, by all means do, it does make pie rolling easier. I have sprinkled four on my mat to keep my dough from sticking. I roll my dough to get started, picking up my dough and flipping it over and putting down more flour if needed. 

As your dough is starting to get to the size you need, you will probably need some flour on your rolling pin. But just enough to keep the dough from sticking to it. You don't want to much extra flour on your dough as that can make it tough too. 

Once my dough is rolled to my size that I need, I use my rolling pin to pick it up to place in my pie dish by rolling the dough around it. I know it looks like I have a lot of flour on my dough here, but I shake it off and it is only some when I first pick the dough up. As you can see in the next picture there isn't much flour there. 

Transfer the dough to your pie pan.

Trim excess pie dough off. My pans have a lip and I cut just inside the lip to get rid of my excess pie dough. You can save the left over dough and roll out, place butter, sugar and cinnamon on top and roll it up. Bake it and eat it. My guys always loved the left over crust pieces when I did them like that. Since it is just hubby and I, I just throw away the left over dough. Or you can use it to make a mini pie if you have some mini pans. Mini pie pans are on my wish list because it is always cool to have a personal pie all to yourself. lol Now tuck your dough under and then you can start pinching your side or making fork marks on the edge of your crust. I always pinch mine because I love the look. 

Here is what the dough looks like once it is in your pan. Here you can see the "lip" I was talking about and the dough that I "tucked" under. It just gives a nicer, cleaner look to the dough when you tuck it under.

Now you are ready to fill it if you are making a pie that doesn't require a "lid". These two pie dough became peach custard pies. Yum, yum! Come back Sunday to see what I made with some other pie dough I made. Hint, it has chicken in it! 

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make pie dough. I promise it isn't hard at all. It just take trial and error to get the "feel" down and that really does't take all that long to learn. Now I hope you will give it a try and please let me know how it goes. 

Thanks for stopping by today for me to teach you how to make the pie dough. I always enjoy having people in the kitchen with me chatting away. lol You know I'm a chatter! As always I appreciate your lovely comments. Crafty and baking hugs, Brenda