| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Inactive: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 1 pie crust |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening (recommended: Crisco)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 whole egg
- 5 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, gradually work the vegetable shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter until it resembles a coarse meal, 3 or 4 minutes. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add the cold water, white vinegar, and salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Separate the dough in half. Form 2 evenly sized balls of dough and place both balls of dough into a large plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (to about 1/2-inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill).
- When you’re ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface, roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. Sprinkle some flour over the top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist. If the dough is sticking to the countertop, use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about 1/2-inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.
- With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 1037 |
| Total Fat | 79 g |
| Saturated Fat | 20 g |
| Carbohydrates | 72 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Cholesterol | 40 mg |
| Sodium | 473 mg |
Reviews
I used all butter instead of shortening. I also made it in a food processor instead of cutting by hand. Because it was soft from the butter I put it in the fridge for an hour before rolling out. It was absolutely perfect for my chicken pot pie. Vinegar made it super flaky.
This recipe is amazing. Used 1/2 butter and 1/2 real lard ) not crisco. Then froze and thawed out to use. Amazing!
I printed this out for my friend. I just noticed it says to split into thirds after mixing. Not sure why I would do that for a two crust . It also says to slightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick. Wouldn’t that essentially be the same as rolling out the crust? I just watched Ree prepare it again and her crust was about 1/2 inch AFTER she rolled it out. And she split hers in half.
I look up a lot of things here. I love it cause it give me more then one to look at. But my all time fav is Paula dean she is the boom at cooking. I watch her on tv all the time and I even watch her reruns too. I just love her. Thanks again
I have been using this recipe since 1976 but the one I use has 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour & 1 cup Crisco. This ratio does not create a very sticky dough. It keeps & freezes very well.
This recipe starts as a very sticky and odd dough. I have never made a pie crust that had this kind of consistency, but the chef just went about adjusting the flour/moisture content a different way for this one. You put a very sticky dough in the freezer and end up adding a lot of flour to it when you roll it out. Next time I may try and add more flour to begin with, but I don’t want to mess with it too much because once you get it rolled out and baked, it’s awesome. This made a very flaky pastry with a very nice flavor. I did use butter flavored shortening but will use a mixture of both butter flavored and regular next time as it was a little intense with the amount in the crust.
I have actually used this recipe for too many years to count (well I would just rather not count them Regardless this is and always has been a no fail perfect pie crust! Use it on every pie I make. It is Fantastic!
This is the best pie crust recipe I have used. It has a moist textur and delicate flavor. I have always had good luck with the recipe and plenty of compliments regarding taste and texture. I have used it for over 20 years now.
it was just like i lernt in school… it was very good
I put 3 cups of flour and 1 1/2 cups crisco in a bowl and went to town with my pastry cutter and the whole time, even after adding 1/3 c of flour… it was the sticky consistency of sugar cookie dough. what in the heck could I have done wrong?