Can you substitute butter for shortening in pie crust?
You can substitute shortening with butter using a 1:1 ratio, and then adding 1-2 tablespoons more of butter for good measure. So for every cup of shortening plan to use 1 cup of butter plus 2 tablespoons. Butter has a lower melting point than shortening, so this might slightly change the texture of your pie crust.
Why do you need cold butter for pie crust?
When it comes to pie dough, keeping the butter as cold as possible is the key to achieving that gold-medal worthy flakiness. If the butter is too warm, it will combine too well into the flour, making the dough hard to work with and the final crust tough or cracker-like.
What makes the best pie crust lard or butter?
Lard makes an excellent fat for a pie crust. Butter being superior in flavor in most doughs and crusts, does make for a harder fat to work with. It melts quickly, and if not handled correctly, can create a chewy crust rather than flaky. If baked to perfection, butter-based crusts almost always win out.
What can I substitute for butter in pie crust?
Vegan butter, shortening, coconut oil, and lard are all dairy-free alternatives that can be used in place of butter in pie crust recipes. Each option imparts a slightly different flavor and texture, so choose the ingredient based on what you’re looking for in your final pie.
Can you use melted butter instead of room temperature?
Simply put: It won’t hold air, and your cakes and cookies will come out flat. “If warm or melted butter is used instead of room-temperature butter, none of that air will be incorporated,” says Parks. Melted butter whips into frothy air bubbles that eventually collapse, leaving your batter greasy and heavy.
What brand of butter is best for pie crust?
The STAR Ingredient: Irish Butter Irish Butter has more fat than regular butter. This makes the dough forgiving and easy to work with. It bakes like a dream and is flaky and light for sweet or savory recipes. Kerrygold is a popular Irish butter brand in the United States.
What does adding egg to pie crust do?
Egg: This makes the dough more pliable and easy to roll out. Eggs also make the crust more compact. Acid and Alcohol: Both acid and alcohol tenderize pie dough, make it easier to roll out, and prevent it from shrinking in your pan.
How do you make a pie crust using butter?
DIRECTIONS Put flour into a mixing bowl with the butter. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour. Add salt and water. Mix until dough is formed. Roll out on flat surface. Bake at 375 degrees until brown. Prick crust prior to baking for non filled baked pies.
What is the best pie crust recipe?
The Very Best Pie Crust Recipe. 3 cups flour 1/2 tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 1/4 cups shortening, cold 1 egg, cold 1 Tbsp. vinegar, cold 5 Tbsp. cold water sugar Mix flour, salt and 2 Tbsp. sugar in a bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives. Add egg, vinegar and 3 tablespoons water. Mix lightly.
What is the perfect pie crust?
The perfect pie crust is tender, light, flaky, and golden and lends itself to all of the Thanksgiving favorites.
What are the ingredients of pie crust?
Pie crust is essentially made of three ingredients: flour, fat, and water. Everything else (the salt, the sugar, any additional flavors) is just window dressing. It’s the seemingly simple interaction between these three ingredients that can make or break a perfect crust.