Prebaked Pie Crust Recipe & Video

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This Prebaked Pie Crust has a buttery flavor with a crisp and flaky texture. It differs slightly from the Pie Crust recipe (Pate Brisee) on the site, in that it contains butter and shortening (or lard), making the pastry a little easier to roll out. Well wrapped, this pastry can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for a month. A nice crust to use for both sweet and savory pies and tarts.

This pastry can be made by hand or in the food processor. There are a few things to keep in mind when making pastry. First, make sure to have the butter and shortening very cold. In fact, I like to cut the butter and shortening into small pieces and freeze it for about 15 minutes. Second, when you add the ice cold water, do it one tablespoon at a time, and process (pulse) just until the pastry is moistened (when you press a little between your thumb and index finger, it just holds together). It shouldn't be a solid ball of dough. Then gather the pastry into a flat disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm (about 30-60 minutes). (Chilling the pastry makes it easier to roll out and prevents it from shrinking as it bakes.)

The tricky part is rolling out the pastry. Lightly flour your countertop, rolling pin, and sprinkle a little on the top of dough. If you find the pastry tearing, it may be too cold, so just let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to warm up. If the pastry sticks, maybe it's too warm, so return it to the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes. The "feel" for the dough will come with practice, so don't get discouraged if you have some trouble at first. Roll the pastry from the center outwards, lifting and turning the pastry every so often, to ensure it is not sticking and is of even thickness (about 1/8 inch). Once the desired size, gently roll the pastry around your rolling pin and unroll it on top of your pie pan. Gently press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. If possible, don't stretch the pastry as this will cause the pastry to shrink during baking. Now, while you can use this pastry for fillings that need to be baked, if you want to prebake the pie crust, first chill the crust while you preheat the oven. There are a few steps to help prevent the pastry from puffing up during baking. First, always prick the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. Next, lightly butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) a large round of parchment paper or aluminum foil, and place it, buttered side down, onto the pie crust. Fill with pie weights, beans, or rice and bake the crust for about 15 minutes or until the sides of the pastry have started to brown. This sets the crust (called a partially baked pie crust). Then remove the parchment paper and weights, and return to a 375 degree F (190 degree C) oven for another 10 minutes or until the pastry is dry and nicely browned. Remove from oven and let cool. If you want to seal the pastry, lightly beat one large egg white with a pinch of salt, and brush it over the hot pastry. Your prebaked pie crust is now ready.


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Prebaked Pie Crust: In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the cold butter and shortening and process (using the pulse button), until the mixture is crumbly (resembles coarse meal). Pour the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, through the feed tube, and process (pulse) just until the dough is moistened and starts to clump together when pinched (it should not be a solid ball of dough). Turn the dough out onto your counter and gather into a ball. Flatten into a 5 inch (12 cm) disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 - 60 minutes, or until firm enough to roll out. (The pastry can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for a month. If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to fit a 8 or 9 inch (20 to 23 cm) pie or tart pan. To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center outwards). When the pastry is rolled to the desired size, lightly roll pastry around your rolling pin, and unroll onto the top of your pie pan. Lightly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim and flute the edges of the pastry.

Cover and chill the pie crust while you preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (215 degrees C). Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and prick the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. Next, lightly butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) a large round of parchment paper or aluminum foil, and place it, buttered side down, onto the pie crust. Fill with pie weights, beans, or rice and bake the crust for about 15 minutes or until the sides of the pastry have started to brown. Remove from oven, remove the parchment and weights. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degree F (190 degree C) and continue to bake the crust for about 10 more minutes or until the pastry is dry and lightly browned. Remove from oven. If you want to seal the crust, lightly beat one large egg white with a pinch of salt. Then, with a pastry brush, brush the hot crust with a thin coat of the beaten egg white. Let the crust cool.

Makes 1 - 9 inch (23 cm) pie crust. Preparation time 30 minutes.

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Prebaked Pie Crust Recipe:

1 1/4 cups (170 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon granulated white sugar

6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter, diced

2 tablespoons (28 grams) cold shortening (or lard), diced

2-4 tablespoons ice cold water