Recipe of the Week: Pie crusts anyone can make

Thanksgiving is next week, so it’s time to talk about pie crust.

It’s OK to be afraid; lots of home bakers are. They believe the rules of pie crusts are finite and that they are doomed to fail. They are wrong, and I am here to make it clear that crusts can be simple to make by everyone, including novice bakers.

Crusts made with solid fats such as butter, shortening and lard need delicate handling. Most home cooks don’t know that it’s easy to handle them too much; that’s when the fat softens enough to bind with the flour, making the dough gummy. They make that mistake once and think they can never make a crust, but that’s because they never tried making one with oil.

My oil crust is very forgiving; if it doesn’t work out you can easily roll it out a second time. You roll it between pieces of waxed paper, because the dough is stickier than traditional, and it’s a little softer when you go to pinch the edges. But it tastes great and no one yet has been able to tell it is made with oil.

The recipe is below. To make a single crust for pumpkin pie (the easiest pie you can make) just halve the crust recipe. This crust also works for quiches, fruit tarts or any other recipe that call for one or two crusts. Happy baking!

Fruit Pie Filling

For a 9-inch pie:

5 cups fruit, peeled, sliced and/or pitted if necessary

½ to 2/3 cup sugar (or more if the fruit tastes tart)

2 tablespoons flour if using apples OR ¼ cup instant tapioca if using berries or peaches

½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Juice of ½ lemon

Clean and prepare fruit as needed. Taste the fruit; adjust the amount of sweetener if the fruit is very tart or very sweet.

Combine all ingredients. Set aside to macerate while you make the crust and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Oil Pie Crust

Makes 2 crusts

1 7/8 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup vegetable oil (I use olive oil, but not the strong-tasting varieties; look for the ones that say “great for baking” on the label)

3 ½ to 4 tablespoons cold water

Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Add oil and, using fork, blend ingredients. This mixture should have a cornmeal consistency.

Add cold water and continue to mix with fork. Pick up dough and knead by hand for a few seconds.

Break the ball into two; roll each until round balls. Using the larger of the two for the bottom crust, roll out the first ball using a rolling pin between two sheets of wax paper (the dough is a little sticky).

When rolled, peel off the top sheet of wax paper. Pick up the dough, which will still be stuck to the wax paper, and lay the dough, paper side up, in the pan. When it is in place, peel off the second sheet of wax paper. It may stick a little to the wax paper, but it’s OK; it can easily be patched if it comes apart.

Pour in the pie filling and spread evenly. Roll out the second ball of dough, peel off the top and lay the crust, paper side up, on the pie. Peel off the wax paper and finish the crust as you would any other, pinching around the edges. Cut slits in top crust and bake at 400 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. If using apples, use a sharp knife to gently pierce the center of the pie to see if the slices are done. Apple pie may need a few minutes longer. Peach pie should be done after 40 to 45 minutes. Blueberry pie is done when the filling starts to bubble.

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