Pie pans vary in size so the pie dough you make will be thicker or thinner if your pie pan is small or extra large. Typical pie pans are seven or eight inches in diameter at the bottom and nine to eleven inches in diameter at the top. Obviously the diameter to which you roll the crust is determined by the size of the pie pan, but also by the length of the tapered sides, as in a deep dish pie pan. Allow for the total size, ergo bottom diameter plus two sides, plus one inch extra for fluting the crust. When making an ordinary double crust pie divide the dough in roughly a 60:40 ratio, using the larger piece for the bottom crust.
There are different techniques described for rolling the pie dough and transferring it into the pie pan. Use whatever technique works well for you. They all work. It is a matter of choice. Do try, however, to have a uniform thickness of the pie crust when you roll it.
Ingredients:
Single Crust
1 1/3 cups of Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening Sticks
OR 1/2 cup well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
3 to 6 tablespoons of ice cold water
Double Crust
2 cups of Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon of salt
3/4 stick of well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening Sticks
OR 3/4 cup well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
4 to 8 tablespoons of ice cold water
Deep Dish Double Crust
2 2/3 cups of Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 stick of well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening Sticks
OR 1 cup of well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
6 to 10 tablespoons of ice cold water
Directions:
Blend the flour and salt in medium mixing bowl.
If you use the shortening sticks, then cut the chilled shortening into 1/2-inch cubes. Cut in the chilled shortening cubes into the flour mixture, using a pastry blender, in an up and down chopping motion, or use an electric mixer on low to medium speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea-sized pieces remaining. If you simply chilled a container of shortening then use two teaspoons to extract small pieces from the container and add/drop them into the mixing bowl by scraping the shortening from one spoon using the other spoon, while the mixer is running.
Sprinkle/pour half of the maximum recommended amount of ice cold water over the flour mixture. Using a fork or electric mixer, draw the flour from bottom of bowl to the top, distributing moisture evenly into flour. Press any chunks that rise to the top down to the bottom of the bowl with a fork or a spatula. Add more water by the tablespoon, until dough is moist enough to hold together when pressed together.
Test the dough for proper moistness by squeezing a marble-sized ball of dough in your hand. If it holds together firmly, do not add any additional water. If the dough crumbles, add more water by the tablespoonful, until the dough is moist enough to form a smooth ball when pressed together.
Shape the dough into a ball for a single pie crust. Divide into dough in two for double crust or double deep dish crust, one ball larger than the other, roughly 60:40 ratio. Flatten the ball(s) into 1/2-inch thick round disk(s).
TIP: For ease in rolling, wrap the dough disks in plastic wrap. Chill them for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Roll the dough (do the larger ball of dough for double crust pie first) from the center outward with steady pressure on a lightly floured work surface (or between two sheets of wax paper, plastic wrap or parchment paper) into a circle 3-4 inches wider than the bottom diameter of the pie plate for the bottom crust. Transfer the dough to the pie plate by loosely rolling it around the flour coated rolling pin, or by peeling off the top sheet and lifting the dough from the work surface by using your hands under the bottom sheet and inverting the crust over the center of the pie plate, then gently peeling the bottom sheet from the dough. If you roll the dough around the rolling pin then center the rolling pin over the pie plate, and then unroll, easing the dough into the pie plate from one side to the other.
For a Single pie crust, trim the edges of dough leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold the edge of the dough under itself. Flute the dough as desired. Bake according to specific recipe directions.
For a Double pie crust, roll the larger disk for bottom crust, trimming the edges of the dough even with the outer edge of the pie plate. Fill the unbaked pie crust according to recipe directions. Roll out the smaller dough disk. Transfer the dough carefully onto filled pie. Trim the edges of the dough leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold the top edge under the bottom crust. Press the edges together to seal and flute the crust as desired. Cut slits in the top crust or prick it with a fork multiple places to vent steam. Bake according to specific recipe directions.
Two Methods for Pre-baking Pie Crusts (Typically done when making Cream Pies):
Pre-baking without weights: Thoroughly prick the bottom and sides of the unbaked pie dough with a fork (50 times) to prevent it from blistering or rising. Bake the crust in the lower third of the oven, at 425°F, 10-12 minutes or until the edges and bottom are light golden brown.
Pre-baking with weights: Thoroughly prick the bottom and sides of the unbaked pie dough with a fork (50 times) to prevent it from blistering or rising. Chill or freeze the dough for 30 minutes. Line the pie dough snugly with foil or parchment paper. Fill the pan with dried beans or pie weights. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Remove the weights or beans and the foil or parchment paper. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 5-10 minutes or until the edges and bottom of the crust are light golden brown.