Pie Crust - Suggestions?

Question

I need to make pie crust for about 3 dozen apple pies with two crusts. Does anyone have any suggestions? They are going to be for our church fair and I want to make sure I make the best crust possible.

I suggested the refridgerator case ones too the ladies at the church and I was most definitely voted down, I was so bummed. I use them when I make quiches in quantity and everybody loves them, but they think because it is for the fair that it should be all homemade. I'll try and pitch it to them again, we're going to be baking pumpkin breads tomorrow, so I'll work them over. hehehehehehehehehe

Answer 1

The best recipe for pie crust is 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup lard, 2 cups flour and 2-3 tbs ice water. This makes one complete pie (both top and bottom.) During the last few minutes of baking lightly coat top with egg whites. This gives the pie shine. It's an excellent recipe used by my grandma for many years. If you have an aversion to using lard you can sub shortening but lard gives it the best flavor.

Answer 2

Get someone to help, this is for one crust, so do the math, that's 72 of these, but the good part is you can keep them in the fridge for a week.

Easy Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 sticks butter, unsalted, cut into 1 tbsp. pieces., very cold
1/4 to 1/2 cup water, cold

Put the flour, salt and sugar into a food processor and pulse once or twice. Add the butter and process until the mixture looks grainy. Then slowly, while pulsing, add the water until you can form the dough by pressing it between your fingers.

Decant the loose dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Using the wrap, fold the loose dough towards the middle and press with the back of your hands to form dough.

Split into two pieces and wrap each and chill for at least 4 hours before using. Dough can be made ahead for up to one week.

Answer 3

This is my favorite :

Oil Pie Crust

"Very easy recipe from my Grandmother. Crust can be rolled out a second time if necessary and it won't get tough."
Original recipe yield: 2 pastry crusts.

INGREDIENTS:
2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk

DIRECTIONS:
Mix flour and salt together. Pour milk and oil into one measuring cup, do not stir, and add all at once to flour. Stir until mixed, and shape into 2 flat balls. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or more.
Roll out on lightly floured surface.

Answer 4

The best pie crust

3 cups flour
1 1/2 teasp salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon vinegar
5 tablespoons water

In lg mixing bowl mix flour sal and sugar, mix well. Cut in shortening until coarse meal in texture.

In small bowl combine egg, vinegar and 4 tablespoons of water. Whisk together, then add to flour mix gradually. Stir with Fork-mix until dough ball forms. Add remaing tablespoon of water if necessary.

Allow dough to rest in refrigerator for at least 10 minutes before rolling out.

PS I think these are better than Pillsbury ready made. This also makes enough for the bottom and top crust.

Answer 5

Melt the butter before adding it to the crackers. Pat it in the pan with your hands. It doesn't have to be perfect, just make sure the bottom and 1" up the sides are covered. The recipe I have uses one package of graham crackers. I think there's more than 7 in there. Basically all the crust does is keep the cheesecake mixture from coming out through the springform pan. Hope that helps.

Answer 6

I like this oil pastry. It is quicker and easier than shortening pastry :
1 cup plus 2 Tbls. flour
1/2 Tsp salt .
1/3 cup salad oil
2 to 3 Tbls.COLD water
(Note: if dough seems dry add 1 or 2 Tbls. oil. Do Not Add More Water.)

Measure flour & salt into bowl. Add oil; mix until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle in water 1 T at a time, mixing until flour is moistened and dough almost cleans side of bowl. Shape dough into flattened round. Place between two 15 inch strips of was paper. Wipe table with a damp cloth to keep wax paper from slipping. Roll pastry 2" larger tha pie pan. Peel of paper. Ease pastry loosely in pan. ( Bake pricked pie shell at 475 12 to 15 min. for reciepes needing a pre-baked crust .)
These crust could be made ahead and left in the wax paper until ready to use. Use can mix more than one crust at a time by multiplying the ingredients by the number of crust to be mixed at a time...but remember it will take a very large container to mix a lot at one time. Enjoy! this is a moist and flaky crust.

Answer 7

I had to make 50 pies once and I have to admit I used the Pillsbury pre-made pie shells. I can't imagine doing homemade pie crusts for so many pies. And to be even more honest, the Pillsbury pie shells are much better than mine. They also come in pie pans - I think that brand is Petz-Ritz in the freezer dept. I know you probably were expecting tips to do pie crust in quanity but this is the best that I know.
Very best of luck to you! I think you are amazingly brave! :)

Answer 8

One of the best pie crusts I have ever made is from Sunset Magazine, it is a cookie dough type of dough for pies. It is simple, takes wonderful and is hard to mess up. I suggest you go on their website and see if they have it. Usually this time of the year, they feature it because of the pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Answer 9

Save yourself some time, especially with as many as you have to make. Get the Pillsbury Pie Crusts in your grocery store, usually near the dairy products.

Answer 10

This may seem like a lot of work....but you spend more time waiting than anything....but the results are WELL worth it! You get a wonderfully butter, moist, and flakey crust!

Pie Crust
Place butter and lard in freezer for 15 minutes. When ready to use, remove and cut both into small pieces.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until texture looks mealy. Add lard and pulse another 3 to 4 times. Remove lid of food processor and spritz surface of mixture thoroughly with water. Replace lid and pulse 5 times. Add more water and pulse again until mixture holds together when squeezed. Place mixture in large zip-top bag, squeeze together until it forms a ball, and then press into a rounded disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place 2 metal pie pans in the refrigerator to chill.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Cut along 2 sides of the plastic bag, open bag to expose dough, and sprinkle both sides with flour. Cover again with plastic and roll out with a rolling pin to a 10 to 11-inch circle. Open plastic again and sprinkle top of dough with flour. Remove pie pans from refrigerator and set first pan on top of dough. Turn everything upside down and peel plastic from bottom of dough. Place second pan upside down on top of dough and flip again. Remove first pan from atop dough. Trim edges if necessary, leaving an edge for meringue to adhere to. Poke holes in dough and place in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Place a large piece of parchment paper on top of dough and fill with dry beans. Press beans into edges of dough and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove parchment and beans and continue baking until golden in color, approximately 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Let cool completely before filling (if making a pie like lemon or chocolate).