Learn the simple steps for making a tenderflake pie crust from scratch, using the recipe printed on the side of the Tenderflake lard box!
Nothing compares to a homemade pie crust made from scratch. A store-bought one is always there when you’re in a hurry, but making it the old-fashioned way feels special.
My mom loved baking pies and always started with a scratch pie crust recipe. Since I want to start a series of her old-fashioned pie recipes, it only seemed right to begin with the perfect base: a tender, flaky pie crust!
Homemade Pie Crust Recipe Easy Enough for Beginners
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Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, which makes 6 pie crusts:
- 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 pound Tenderflake lard (or lard of your choice)
- 1 Tablespoon vinegar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- very cold water
Step 1: Stir together the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Cut in the Tenderflake lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture looks like coarse oatmeal.
Don’t mix the lard in too much. Some larger chunks of lard in the mixture are perfectly okay.
Step 3: In a 1-cup measure, mix the vinegar and beaten egg together. Add enough cold water to bring it up to 1 cup.
Step 4: Slowly add the liquid to the flour, fluffing it gently with a fork until the dough can be formed into a ball.
Don’t overwork the dough at this point. Add just enough liquid to bring it together into a ball.
Step 5: Divide the dough into 6 balls.
If you won’t use the dough right away, wrap the balls in plastic wrap. They keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Before rolling out stored dough, let it come to room temperature.
How to roll out pie crust:
Step 1: On a lightly floured surface (I like to use a baker’s pastry cloth and rolling pin cover set), gently press the dough down in the center to form a disc. Roll gently but firmly from the center outward with a rolling pin, turning both the pin and the dough as you go.
Don’t worry if the edges start to crack. Gently press them back together and keep rolling until the circle is big enough to fit a pie pan with about a 1 1/2 inch overhang.
(Here are some more rolling dough tips.)
How to make pie crust edge designs:
Once the crust is rolled out, fold it in half, place it in the pie pan, and open it up fully.
The edge should overhang the pan, and in my case, it overhangs more in some spots than others!
I start by building up the edge so it’s an even thickness all the way around.
Roll up the crust gently and press it against the rim of the pan. Trim away the excess.
If some spots are thin, press a few of the trimmings onto them so the thickness is consistent all the way around.
Crimping the rim is where your creativity can shine. Have fun with it! I usually go for a traditional wavy edge. Here are 9 ways to crimp pie edges.
How to blind bake a homemade pie crust:
Some recipes, like lemon meringue pie, no bake pie, and banana cream pie, call for a baked shell before the filling goes in. That’s called a “blind bake,” or par-baked (pre-baked) crust.
There are two ways to blind bake a pie shell. Because of the lard in the dough, it wants to rise, and we want to stop that. Here are the two methods.
1. Prick holes all over the bottom and sides of the shell with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Keep an eye on the crust as it nears the end of baking. If it’s getting too brown, cover it with a pie pan shield or a strip of aluminum foil.
2. Line the crust with parchment paper and use pie weights or dried beans to keep it from rising.
I’ve never tried this method myself, but I’ve seen it on cooking shows. I don’t think pie weights existed when my mom was baking her old-fashioned pies!
To use pie weights, crinkle the parchment paper so it lines the crust easily, then place it on top of the dough. Add the pie weights or dried beans and spread them out evenly.
Halfway through baking, carefully remove the crust from the oven, take out the parchment and weights, and prick the bottom. Return it to the oven until the bottom turns a light golden brown.
For more old-fashioned recipes, you may want to check out:
- Cherry Pie with canned cherries recipe
- Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie
- Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
- Grandma Bernice’s No Bake Strawberry Pie
- Grandma Jennie’s Luscious Lemon Bars
- These Texas Brownies are perfect for potlucks and big family dinners.
- My sister’s Peanut Butter Fudge Bars are a personal favorite.
For more recipes and ideas for your home:
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Comfort Food Dinner Ideas Just for You!
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How to Make Pie Crust from Scratch
Make dessert special by starting with a flaky pie crust from scratch! Get step-by-step instructions for the old-fashioned way. Made with Tenderflake lard, this easy recipe needs no food processor and no chilling before rolling. Delicious and flaky every time.
Ingredients
Method
- Step 1: Stir together the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Step 2: Cut in the Tenderflake lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture looks like coarse oatmeal. Don’t mix the lard in too much. Some larger chunks of lard are fine.
- Step 3: In a 1-cup measure, mix the vinegar and beaten egg together, then add enough cold water to bring it up to 1 cup. Step 4: Slowly add the liquid to the flour, fluffing gently with a fork until the dough forms a ball. Don’t overwork it. Add just enough liquid to bring it together.
- Step 5: Divide the dough into 6 balls. Wrap any balls you won’t use right away in plastic wrap. They keep in the fridge up to 3 days, or in the freezer up to 6 months. Let stored dough come to room temperature before rolling it out.
- How to roll out pie crust: Step 1: On a lightly floured surface (I like to use a baker’s pastry cloth and rolling pin cover set), gently press the dough down in the center to form a disc. Roll gently but firmly from the center outward, turning the pin and dough as you go. Don’t worry if the edges crack. Press them back together and keep rolling until the circle fits a pie pan with about a 1 1/2 inch overhang.
- How to make pie crust edge designs: Once the crust is rolled out, fold it in half, place it in the pie pan, and open it up fully.
- The edge should overhang the pan, and in my case, it overhangs more in some spots than others!
- Start by building up the edge so it’s an even thickness all the way around.
- Roll up the crust gently, press it against the rim of the pan, and trim off the excess.
- If some spots are thin, press a few trimmings onto them so the thickness is even all the way around. Once it’s even, crimp it into the design you like.
- There are two ways to blind bake pie shells. Because of the lard in the dough, it wants to rise, and we want to prevent that. Here are the two methods.
- 1. Prick holes all over the bottom and sides of the shell with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Watch the crust near the end of baking, and if it gets too brown, cover it with a pie pan shield or aluminum foil.
- 2. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans to keep it from rising. I’ve never personally used this method, but I’ve seen it on cooking shows. I don’t think pie weights existed when my mom was baking her old-fashioned pies!
- To use pie weights, crinkle the parchment so it lines the crust easily, then place it on the dough. Add the weights or beans and spread them evenly.
- Halfway through baking, carefully remove the parchment and weights, prick the bottom of the crust, and return it to the oven until the bottom turns slightly golden brown.
