Sometimes you just need a single pie crust. Not all pies have a lid! This is especially true with Thanksgiving coming up – lots of pumpkin pies will be made!
For an alternative to traditional pumpkin pie, try this amazing Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Instead of dividing a recipe for a double crust pie in half, we’ve found it’s much more effective to just make a single crust. Why? Because the bottom crust needs to be a bit larger than the top crust.
That means dividing a double crust recipe usually results in a bottom crust that’s too small. Or you divide it so you enough for the bottom crust, but the extra is only good for a lid. Now you need another bottom crust so you can use your lid – it can get kind of frustrating.
Given all that, if we’re making a single crust pie, like pumpkin, Dutch apple, lemon meringue, or even tomato, we use this recipe. We get the right amount of dough and there’s no waste and no frustration. Yay!
It’s a quick process, too. Minus the chilling time, you can have your dough ready in 10-15 minutes.
Keep it Cold
To be as efficient as possible, I like to cube the shortening and butter and pop them in the freezer for an hour before getting started. That ensures they’re nice and cold, which is critical for pie crust dough. And by cubing them first, I’m not handling them too much right before I use them (which can warm them up).
I also leave the butter and shortening in the freezer right up until I’m ready to add them to the food processor. Again, this helps keep them as cold as possible.
Use a Food Processor
The actual dough making process is pretty simple. Pulse the flour and salt in a food processor to combine it. Add the butter and shortening and pulse till it resembles small peas. Then add the ice water and pulse a few times till it starts coming together.
Next, you’ll dump it onto a lightly floured surface to knead a few times. You’re just bringing the dough together so you can shape it into a nice flat disk.
Have Ice Water Handy
At this point, if your dough seems to dry to shape (i.e. you have a lot of crumbly bits that just won’t stick together), try spraying some ice water on the dry parts. I usually have a spray bottle with ice water in it just in case, and I’ll lightly mist the dry areas to help things along.
Chill!
Once you have your disk ready, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours and up to two days.
When you’re ready to use it, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for several minutes. This will help make it easier to roll out.
Tip: To get the right size crust every time, consider a silicone mat with disk sizes printed on it. I LOVE the one I purchased on Amazon (featured below) and use it every time I make a pie crust.
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Single Pie Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- 2 tbsp. shortening, very cold and cubed freeze for an hour before using
- 3 to 4 tbsp. ice water
Instructions
- Add flour and salt to a food processor and pulse until combined (3-4 times). Add the butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles small peas (4-5 times). Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture and pulse until dough just begins to clump together. Add additional ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed, for the dough to come together. Pulse after each addition.
- Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough until it comes together (2-3 times), being careful not to handle the dough too much. Shape and flatten it into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.