Kitchen Pie Pastry

This pie crust uses both shortening and butter for a reason. Shortening creates flaky layers because it stays solid at higher temperatures, while butter adds the flavor that an all-shortening crust lacks. Together, they give you a crust that’s both flaky and rich.

The stand mixer method makes this fast. The flat beater attachment cuts the chilled fats into the sifted flour in about 30 seconds on stir speed, getting you to pea-sized pieces without overworking the dough. Ice-cold water goes in a tablespoon at a time, just enough for the dough to form a ball.

A 15-minute chill in the fridge firms up the fats and relaxes the gluten, making the dough easier to roll and less likely to shrink in the oven.

Pro Tips

• Keep everything cold. Chilled shortening, chilled butter, chilled water. Warm fats melt into the flour instead of staying in discrete pieces, and that kills flakiness.
• Stop mixing the instant the dough comes together. Overmixing develops gluten and gives you a tough crust every time.
• Roll between waxed paper to prevent sticking without adding extra flour, which also toughens the pastry.
• For a pre-baked shell, prick the bottom and sides with a fork. This prevents the crust from puffing up and bubbling.

Variations

• All-butter crust: Replace the shortening with more butter for richer flavor at the expense of some flakiness.
• Savory crust: Add a pinch of dried herbs or a teaspoon of grated Parmesan to the flour for quiches and savory pies.