Homemade Deep Dish Pie Crust Recipes

CLASSIC CRISCO PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt into bowl. Cut chilled Crisco shortening into 4 or 5 pieces and drop into stand mixer bowl.
• Using the flat beater, turn to stir speed and cut shortening into flour until particles are size of small peas, about 30 seconds.
• Gradually add ice cold water one tablespoon at a time until all particles are moistened. Use only enough water to make the pastry form a ball. Depending on a variety of factors, you may not need to use the full amount or you may need slightly more. Watch dough closely as over mixing will result in a tough crust.
• Form dough into two equal size disks and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
• Roll to 1/8" thickness between pieces of parchment paper until you have a circle slightly larger than the circumference of your pie plate.
• Fold pastry into quarters; ease into pie plate and unfold, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim and crimp edges.
• Fill and bake according to the specific pie recipe you're using.
• For a pre-baked pie crust: to blind bake this pie crust, prick sides and bottom thoroughly with a fork. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until light brown. Cool completely before filling.

DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut each apple quarter in thirds crosswise and combine in a bowl with the zests, juices, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
• Roll out half the pie dough and drape it over a 9- or 10-inch pie pan to extend about 1/2-inch over the rim. Don't stretch the dough; if it's too small, just put it back on the board and re-roll it.
• Fill the pie with the apple mixture. Brush the edge of the bottom pie crust with the egg wash so the top crust will adhere. Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1-inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar, and cut 4 or 5 slits.
• Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the crust is browned and the juices begin to bubble out. Serve warm.
• Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

SUPER-EASY GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Combine cracker crumbs, butter and sugar; press onto bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Bake until crust is lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

THE REAL CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a bowl. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam.
• Combine yeast mixture, flour, corn oil, and kosher salt in a large stand mixer with a hook attachment; knead until dough holds together but is still slightly sticky, about 2 minutes.
• Form dough into a ball and transfer to a buttered bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with a towel and allow dough to rise at room temperature until double in size, 6 hours.
• Punch down dough and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Press dough into a 10-inch deep dish pizza pan.

DEEP DISH PIZZA PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove sausage to paper towels, reserving drippings. Cook onion and bell pepper in drippings until crisp-tender.
• In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, cornmeal and Parmesan cheese. Cut in butter, using pastry blender, until crumbly. Add boiling water; stir vigorously until dough forms. Spray 10-inch ovenproof skillet with cooking spray. Press dough on bottom and up side of skillet. Arrange cheese slices over crust; spread with 1/3 cup of the pizza sauce. Top with sausage and onion mixture. Arrange two-thirds of the pepperoni over onion mixture. Spread remaining 1/3 cup pizza sauce over pepperoni; top with shredded mozzarella cheese and remaining pepperoni.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Garnish with basil. Cut into 8 wedges; serve with additional pizza sauce, heated, if desired.

HOMEMADE DEEP DISH PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In food processor, pulse flour, salt butter and vegetable shortening until in large crumbs.
• Add cold water; pulse until mixture starts to form a ball. (Do not overmix).
• Shape dough into round disc.
• Cover with plastic wrap.
• Freeze for 10 minutes until easy to handle.
• Roll dough into 11 inch circle on floured surface.
• Fit dough into 9 1/2 inch deep dish pie plate.
• Turn edge under and flute.
• Pour in filling and bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes.

PASTRY FOR EXTRA-LARGE DOUBLE-CRUST PIE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half so that one ball is slightly larger than the other. Roll out larger ball to fit an 11-1/2-in. to 12-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate; trim even with edge of plate. , Pour desired filling into crust. Roll out second ball; cut slits in pastry. Position over filling. Trim pastry to 1 in. beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top crust over bottom crust. Flute edges. Bake according to recipe directions.

DEEP DISH STRAWBERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Press pie crust pastry into a 1/2-inch deep dish pie plate. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• Melt chocolate chips in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 1 to 3 minutes. Paint melted chocolate in the bottom and inside of cooled pie crust. Place chocolate-painted crust in freezer to harden the chocolate, about 30 minutes.
• Place the prettiest strawberry, cut-side down, in the center of the chocolate crust. Arrange as many attractive strawberries as possible around the center strawberry, so they appear as circles around the center.
• Mash the remaining strawberries in a bowl; transfer to a saucepan. Add sugar and lemon juice; bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
• Whisk ginger ale and cornstarch together in a bowl until smooth; gradually stir into boiling strawberry mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for about 5 minutes.
• Spoon strawberry sauce over strawberries in pie shell. Chill in refrigerator until pie is set, at least 8 hours.