Perfect Pie Crust Recipe With Freeze Dried Ingredients

I have struggled over the years to make a quality pie crust.  Eventually, I just avoided it by using pre-made or refrigerated store bought pie crusts when necessary or even completely store bought pies at times. 

I just didn’t trust my pie crust making skills, they were seriously lacking.

But then I found a recipe from Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook. 

She calls it “the perfect pie crust,” and she is right. 

It is the flakiest pie crust I’ve ever had, and with a few tips from her, my mom, and my photographer Angie, even I was able to pull it off! I’ve used it in a few recipes since such as apple pie and chicken pot pie.

The only change I made to her recipe was to use powdered eggs instead of fresh eggs.  So, now you can have perfect pie crust even if you are out of eggs!

Making the Perfect Pie Crust The Food Storage Way

Like all the recipes on this site, this pie crust is made with freeze-dried ingredients. Thrive Life is my go to for food storage goods – and many of the items you need for my recipes you can get there.

Ingredients

• 3 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons powdered scrambled egg
• 1.5 cups of shortening
• 1/2 cup ice cold water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Instructions

1. Combine flour, salt, and egg powder in a large bowl
2. Add shortening and work into the flour mixture until it looks like small pebbles (about 3-5 minutes)
3. Add cold water and vinegar
4. Stir until just combined
5. Remove half the dough and place on lightly floured surface
6. Begin rolling the dough from the center outward making your way all the way around the circle (DO NOT use any back and forth rolling)
7. Once dough is rolled out, use a bowl (that is an inch or two larger than your pie pan) and pizza cutter to cut a nice round crust
8. Roll crust up gently
9. Move crust to pie pan and unroll
10. Bake according to pie recipe’s directions

Crust can be used on bottom of pie pan, on top, or both depending on what type of pie you are making.

Lightly mix flour, salt, and powdered scrambled egg mixture with a fork. 

Then add shortening and begin cutting it into flour mixture. 

I used a knife and fork and it worked just fine. 

But if you have a fancy pastry cutter, you should use it as it will take less time.

Continue working the flour and shortening into each other until it resembles “course meal”. There are no large chunks in the mixture. 

With my fork and knife it took about five minutes to get the right texture.

Now add the water and vinegar. 

Stir until just combined. 

Separate the dough into two pieces and form them into balls. Pace one on a lightly floured surface and gently flatten the ball with your hands.

And now an important tip (this one is from Ree at Pioneer Woman Cooks)

Do NOT roll the dough back-and-forth.

Instead begin right in the center and roll outward in a single stroke. 

Then change your angle a bit and roll from the center in a single, outward stroke. 

Repeat until you’ve gone all the way around the circle a few times. 

I like to do this on a corner of my island so I can move around the pie crust instead of moving it or resorting to back-and-forth rolling. 

Be patient and gentle.  It will take a few minutes, but you will be rewarded with a beautiful flaky pie crust!

If the bottom starts sticking, add a sprinkle of flour to the top, and slide a sharp spatula underneath to loosen it.

One it is all rolled out, I like to use a large bowl and a pizza cutter to get it completely circular.

And now a tip from my mom:

Roll your pie crust before you move it.

Thanks, Mom, because this is the best tip ever!

Trying to move that big old circle of dough just results in a floppy mess for me every time. But rolling it up first makes moving it around the kitchen so much easier.

Once you’ve rolled up your crust, pick it up and transfer it to your empty pie dish and unroll it.

Use your hand to lightly form the crust so that it fits inside the pan and overlaps the edges. Add filling, and then roll out the second batch of dough.

Once it is rolled up, transfer it to the top of your pie pan.

Or if you are making my pot pie (recipe to come soon), don’t worry about the bottom crust…you only need the top!

Tuck the edges in under themselves, and then apply a decorative effect to the edge. 

In the past I would just use a fork to create simple lines.

Little did I know how boring that was.

That was, until my friend (and photographer) showed me how to use my thumbs to create an even prettier edge.

Look how beautiful this pie crust is! Yes, I am pretty proud of myself.