Hear ye! Hear ye! All Kings and Queens of Flakiness!

[cobblestone_cheesecake]

The topic of pie crust has been touched on in the "Store Bought vs. Homemade" thread; or the one back in May called simply "Pie Crust," but luckily pie crust is infinitely topical. Though I could have posed my dilemma in either of those threads, I decided to start a new thread because I want you smart cookie pie crust makers to tell me how you do it. What do you believe is the magic in the trick to making an amazing pie crust? I have read on this topic for years and yet I still turn out a tough, shortbread-like crust. I went through a long spell of pie-making and somehow my vigor for this art has gradually withered away. I never perfected it, obviously. I would like to pick up my rolling pin once again and roll out one of those smooth, floppy disks that drape ever so gracefully over the edges of a pie tin. How do you cut in the fat? (I take the shortcut with a food processor). Do you refrigerate the dough before the big roll out? (I hate this and see no purpose). What method do you use for rolling the dough? (I press it between two sheets of waxed paper and labor over it violently). There's always more room for pie, and with that I would add, pie talk!

 

[LivetoErr]

The only pie crust I've ever made was one for a chicken pot pie. It turned out amazing and I keep thinking I should make one again. It's just so much darn work. Plus I need to find the recipe. And it was probably beginners luck. Eek!

Every other pie I've made has been with store bought (which you can't buy here) so I hope this thread gets replies and I can learn to be a pie master too.

 

[cobblestone_cheesecake]

Lucky duck. Or maybe you just have the natural flaky magic in you! You say the making of the crust is so much darn work, but I'm convinced that it needn't be. I recall watching a video (Just did a quick search and cannot locate it. Bummer.) in which this pro pie maker girl assembles and rolls out a perfect dough lickity split. She made it appear effortless. I need to find her and kidnap her and keep her in my custody until she teaches me her trick. I recall that she didn't have any sticking issues on her rolling pin. I was thoroughly impressed. She just quickly rolled the dough out with no waxed paper or rolling pin stocking or silicone mat in sight. I think homemade pie dough is laborious for us amateurs, but as it is with everything, practice makes perfect. If pie crust making were a regular part of our usually store-bought lives, the toiling and the trouble would give way to the kind of ease with which the women (and men of yesteryear made a homemade pie.

 

[LivetoErr]

I probably find it a lot of work because it's hard for me to knead and roll due to arthritis in my hands and problems with my tendons. If I could do it as effortlessly as you make these people make it sound, I might find it easier.

I get in trouble too when I bake because I am notorious for making a mess. No matter how hard I try flour ends up in many more places than it should.

It would be fun though to know how to make a good dough effortlessly though. I used to resort to store bought graham cracker crusts as I kind of prefer them over regular dough. I had trouble with making my own until I discovered that you spread a beaten egg over the crust and bake it some more and it won't fall apart. So now I don't need to store buy them.

However where I am now I can't find graham cracker crumbs for the life of me. Only store bought crusts. So maybe I do need to switch over to dough and make some pies. I really need to find that pot pie recipe now!