No butter, no shortening! This recipe is simple, foolproof, and produces a perfect pie crust every time. It works well with sweet fruit pies and savory pies. This is my preferred pie dough recipe. I have been making it for years and I’m not vegan! Follow the instructions below to create a flaky vegan pie dough. Leave a comment to me know how it turned out!
Why This Vegan Dough Works!
Vegetable oil is used in this recipe. It works because the fat is already melted. This means that it incorporates into the flour more easily than a solid fat does. You don’t have to but I still try and cut the oil into the flour because it makes the dough easier to handle and creates a lighter dough.
Instructions
Three Ingredients; vegetable oil, all purpose flour, Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, and ice water as needed.
TIPS: Making dough is not an exact science. The time of year, a dry climate, and temperature can change the amounts (ratios) of ingredients in this recipe. Touch and sight are used when baking. Use your hands to feel how the dough comes together. Does it feel moist enough? Does the the dough look crumbly? If so, add more cold water to make adjustments. It should have the consistency of Play Dough.
Cutting flour Into oil (optional). I do this extra step to ensure that the dough is light and flaky, but it is not necessary. Once the water is added, the dough will gather together easily when pressed.
TIP: Add an additional teaspoon of oil if you live in a dry climate.
After you add cold water to the dough it will come together easily. As you press it together, the dough will start to clean the side of the bowl.
TIP: If the parchment paper is sliding around as you’re rolling out the dough, dampen your counter with a wet cloth. Flip the dough occasionally when you’re rolling it. The parchment paper may start to crease. Just straighten it and keep rolling in various directions to create a 12inch diameter circle.
Take a fork and make holes in the bottom of the pie crust to prevent the dough from puffing up as it cooks. Pie crust shrinks as it cooks; to prevent this, cover the dough with parchment paper and place pie weights into the dough-lined pie plate. (Some cooks use dry uncooked beans or sugar). I prefer a not-so-perfect pie and do not use this technique.
- Trim the dough so there is an inch of dough hanging over the edge of the pie plate
- Fold the excess dough under itself to create an even rounded edge
- Pinch the dough to create a design. Some bakers use fork tines to make a design. Or, leave it as is.
Cover the crust so it does not brown too much for long cooking times. Remove the foil about ten minutes before it is done. This is my Spinach And Mushroom Quiche. It is not on my site, but I will publish it this week.
NOTES
Making dough takes practice. Be patient and take your time.
Add herbs to your dough when making a savory pie
Add cinnamon to your pie dough when making fruit pies
Best Flaky Vegan Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teas Diamond Crystal salt Reduce salt by half if not using Crystal Diamond salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 Tbsp cold water add more if needed
Instructions
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees
- In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt.
- Add Oil. Use a fork or pastry blender until the mixture is pea-sized. ( I use 2 knives and crosshatch the dough)
- Sprinkle with cold water.
- Use your hand to gather the dough as it cleans the sides of the bowl. If the dough is not coming together, add more water a little at a time until it does. Press it into a firm ball.
- Place the ball immediately between two 12×12-inch strips of parchment paper. Roll out to a 12-inch-diameter circle.
- Peel the top parchment paper off of the dough.
- Take the dough attached to the parchment paper and invert it onto the pie plate. Starting at the edge of the dough, gently peel away the parchment paper. Adjust the pie dough so that it touches the entire surface of the pie plate.
- Trim dough around the edges of the pie plate, leaving about 1/2 inch of dough to fold under.
- Cover the edge of the crust with aluminum foil to prevent the edge from over-browning.
- Dock the bottom of the pie crust with a fork.
- Pie crust shrinks as it cooks; to prevent this, cover the dough with parchment paper and place pie weights into the dough-lined pie plate. (Some cooks use beans.) I prefer a not-so-perfect pie and do not use this technique.
- Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 10 minutes, or until you see it starting to turn color. The light browning should be hardly noticeable.
- Put on a baking rack to cool.
