2cupsCup4Cup Gluten-free Multipurpose Flour Blendother flour blends will work but Cup4Cup is best, use a blend with xanthan gum included. (Note: Cup4Cup is not dairy-free)
1Tablespoonsugar
½teaspoontable salt
1cupcold butter cold shortening for dairy-free
2egg yolksomit for egg-free, will need extra water.
Cube the butter and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting. (The butter should be very cold but not frozen.)
Whisk the egg yolks with 3 tablespoons of the ice-cold water. Place in the fridge until ready.
Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together.
Add the cubed butter into the flour and toss to coat.
Blend on low speed with a stand mixer or use your hands to squish the butter cubes into the flour, making sure to keep the butter coated in flour while you work it in.
Keep working until butter resembles large chunks mixed with smaller pieces. The large chunks should be about the size of walnut halves.
Take the egg yolk/water mixture out of the fridge. Pour into the flour mixture.
Stir together on low speed or with a spatula until just combined.
Add 1 Tablespoon more of ice water at a time and mix just until the mixture holds together or looks like it could. The dough should be just moistened, without visibly dry parts of flour. It should also not be overly wet or sticky.
Cut the mixture in half and form into two balls. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Rolling out the Dough
Place a piece of parchment paper on your work surface and sprinkle with flour. Also flour the rolling pin.
Take one ball of dough out of the fridge and roll it out. Move the dough around to ensure it isn't sticking to the parchment while you're rolling. If it starts to stick, sprinkle a little more flour underneath.
Continue to roll the dough until it is large enough to fit your pie plate with at least 1-inch of overhang.
Fold the dough in half and then in half again. Gently place the dough with the corner in the center of your pie plate.
Carefully unfold the dough and gently press it into the corners of the pan ensuring there are no air pockets.
Patch any areas that may need to be patched. Trim the excess off the edges so there is about 1-inch overhang.
Single Crust Pie
Fold the edges of the crust under to be even with the edge of the pie plate.
Crimp the edges as desired.
Double-crust Pie
Fill the pie. Roll out the other half of the dough and place on top.
Fold the edges of the crust under to be even with the edge of the pie plate. Crimp the edges as desired.
To Par-bake the Crust
Poke holes in the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork.
Place parchment paper on top of the crust and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Fill all the way up the sides of the crust.
Bake at 425, on the lowest rack of the oven, for 10-15 minutes, or until very light golden brown.
Remove the pie weights and parchment paper.
Return to the oven for a few more minutes and bake until the bottom, where the pie weights were, appears dry.
Fill with filling and bake according to your recipe.
To Blind (Fully) Bake the Crust
Follow the steps above to bake with pie weights.
After removing the pie weights and parchment paper, bake the crust an additional 5-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cooked through.
Baking a Filled Pie
Bake the filled pie at 425°F for 15 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 45-60 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling, the fruit is tender, and the crust is a deep golden brown.
Video
Notes
The recipe can be halved for a single-crust pie.
Tightly wrapped dough can be refrigerated 1-3 days or frozen for later use.
Keep everything extra COLD at all times from blending ingredients all the way through the rolling process. Chill the pie before baking if the dough gets warm.
If you ever find yourself struggling, STOP. Put everything in the fridge until it's cold again, about 15-30 min. This is the number one reason the dough becomes hard to roll out or work with.
Avoid sticking. Make sure to keep the surface floured while you're rolling out the dough. Check frequently that your dough isn't sticking, add another sprinkle of flour if it is.
If your dough completely falls apart when trying to put it into the pan, it was probably too warm. Gather everything up back into a ball. Wrap it up and pop it back in the fridge for 30 minutes. Try again when it is cold.
Cover with foil. Cover the edges with foil as soon as the crust is set and light golden brown to prevent the crust from becoming too brown.