Kitchen

[cuddlesmama]

Is there a difference in flour for making pie crusts? l. I am going to try to make my own pie crusts. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

[ahoymate]

Pies are generally made with unbleached white flour. Unless, of course you have some dietary preferances. I don't and use unbleached white flour.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

Yes, there’s is. Typically, one would use an all-purpose flour made from wheat.  People who adhere to a low carb or keto lifestyle will use almond flour, or maybe coconut flour.  They are not interchangeable on a 1:1 ratio. You would need a flour specific recipe.  

[QVCkitty1]

My tip is don't use bread flour. I grabbed the wrong canister once and it just doesn't work.

[Carmie]

I make pies pretty often, usually every week.  I just use a good all purpose flour.

Just remember that you should not kneed pie dough. The more you play with it, the tougher it becomes.  Make sure your "fat" and water are ice cold.

Chill the dough in the fridge before you roll it out and it will be easier to work with.

If you need to patch the dough, wet the dough with a little water and it will stick like glue to itself.

Have fun.  It takes a little practice to make it look pretty, but it always tastes great.

[Love my grandkids]

I'm a pretty good baker but can't make a decent pie crust to save my life.

Years ago I quit wasting products trying to make one and resorted to the frozen crusts. No one complained as the contents were so delicious!

[PinkyPetunia]

I used to have a gadget called a NoMess Dough Disk I bought from QVC probably 25 years ago.   It was very helpful in making pie crust. It was a cloth covered round plastic board. I haven't seen mine in ages.  I've moved 3 times in between so it probably got lost in a move.

[ECBG]

I taught pie making and these ladies are correct.  In my labs (and my kitchen) I use White Lily All purpose.

This is how I spent last winter while I couldn't work.  (Not my pie.).

[peachesncream]

I've been making pie crusts for years, and here is my hint. Buy a Pastry Cloth and Rolling Pin Cover set. You can find one on Amazon, or in most grocery stores. It costs just a few dollars.

You flour the rolling pin cover and the pastry cloth. Then roll out your dough. Rolling out the pie dough will be a breeze. 

Also, when making cut out sugar cookies, instead of using flour, I put a light coating of confectioners sugar on the pastry cloth and the rolling pin cover. This way, you don't get overly floury cookies.  

I agree that chilled pie dough is easier to work with. Ditto for cookie dough that you need to roll out.

FYI, this isn't a single use item. You shake out the cloth and cover, and then wash in the washing machine or by hand. Hang to dry and reuse (forever).

[Mimi 1883]

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@ECBG wrote:

I taught pie making and these ladies are correct.  In my labs (and my kitchen) I use White Lily All purpose.

This is how I spent last winter while I couldn't work.  (Not my pie.).

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@ECBG  I recently watched The Pioneer Woman where she added a tablespoon of white vinegar to the dough mixture. I've never tried this and wondered if really does make a difference. Have you heard of this?