How to Make Pie Crust, in Pictures
Have a hankering for cherry pie, but find yourself intimidated by the process of making crust from scratch? Look no further! Not only do we have a near-foolproof pie crust recipe to share, but we've broken the procedure down into a few simple steps sure to elucidate the process for visual learners. So stop fretting (it's easy, we swear!) and start baking.
Measure Out the Dry Ingredients
Measure out the dry ingredients, preferably using a scale. Pictured: 12 1/2 ounces (or two and a half cups) all-purpose flour.
Combine the Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
Cube the Butter
Cube the butter. If it softens considerably during the process, don't fret. Simply corral the cubes into a bowl and chill it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes or until firm.
Cut the Butter into the Flour Mixture
Cut the cubed butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, rocking the blender back and forth. Alternatively, rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips.
Work Until You See Coarse Dough Clumps
Keep working the butter into the dough until the largest pieces of butter are between the diameter of a dime and a nickel or as pictured.
Add the Water and Mix
Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the dough begins to stick to itself in large clumps.
Knead the Dough
Knead the shaggy dough a few times (ideally less than 10 times), until it forms a cohesive mass. Shape the dough into a ball.
Wrap and Chill the Dough
Cut the dough in half and flatten each half into a rough disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour or up to three days. If you're not planning to use the dough in that time frame, simply move the wrapped dough disks into a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and freeze for use at a later date.
Dust a Clean Surface with Flour
Sprinkle flour on a clean flat surface (either a cutting board or a clean countertop). Place the dough disk on the floured surface and sprinkle both sides with a generous dusting of flour. Dust the rolling pin with flour as well.
Roll Out the Dough
Roll out the dough, periodically lifting and turning the dough mass, and adding flour as necessary, to ensure that you're left with a roughly circular shape.
Transport the Dough to the Pie Plate
Loosely wrap the rolled-out dough around a rolling pin for easy transport from the countertop to the pie plate.