Whole Wheat Pastry Flour Oil Pie Crust (No Roll)

[BakerAunt]

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour Oil Pie Crust (No Roll)
makes a 9-inch deep, single pie crust that fits a 9-inch Emile Henry ceramic pie plate

Marliss Desens adapted this oil pie crust from two recipes in the King Arthur 200th Anniversary Cookbook. The recipe’s hint about whisking together the oil and buttermilk is key to making the crust successfully, so do not skip it. To use this crust with a fruit or pumpkin pie filling—that is any filling that will need baking—it is best to have that filling par-cooked or, for a pumpkin pie filling, hot, and to add it shortly after blind-baking the crust. Sprinkling panko on the bottom for a fruit pie keeps the crust from absorbing excess liquid. Pumpkin pies do not need it.

1 ¼ cup AP unbleached flour
¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
2 tsp. sugar (delete for savory pies)
1 tsp. salt

½ cup canola oil
¼ cup buttermilk

Panko for sprinkling before filling

Stir together dry ingredients in small, deep bowl.

In measuring cup, whisk together oil and buttermilk until it blends in a white, milky emulsion. I usually whisk for at least one minute.

Pour the oil-buttermilk mixture into the center of the dry ingredients. Begin tossing with a pastry fork, then switch to s bowl scraper to bring the dough together.

Press evenly into pie plate on bottom and sides, building up around the top edge to make a rim. Cover with saran and refrigerate for an hour. (I’ve had good results, even if it sits for two to three hours.)

Preheat oven to 425F about 20 minutes before you want to par-bake. Line pie crust with parchment, or foil (I use an industrial coffee filter.) and fill with dried beans. (I keep a supply of these for pie crust and re-use them again and again.)

Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes.

Remove pie plate from oven. Remove the liner with the beans. Allow to cool about 3 minutes

For fruit pies: filling should be par-cooked and ready when the crust is removed from the oven. Sprinkle the bottom with panko before adding the filling and a streusel crust. Baking temperature and time will vary, depending on the filling. For apple pie, I bake at 400F for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375F for 30-40 minutes. For my blueberry pie, I bake at 400F but tent with foil for 40 minutes, then remove for an additional 10-15 minutes.

For pumpkin pies: Delete panko. Add hot pumpkin pie filling directly to crust, then bake according to pumpkin pie recipe

What I Changed:
I replaced ¾ cup AP flour with whole wheat pastry flour
I reduced the salt by ¼ tsp.
I decreased the vegetable oil by 2 Tbs.
I replaced milk with buttermilk and increased it from 3 Tbs to 4 Tbs. (1/4 cup)

I replaced the directions with my own for clarity. The original recipe does not give any directions on how to use the crust with fillings once it is blind-baked.

Spread the word

      

  

  

[BakerAunt]

The last two times I've made this pie crust, I rolled it out right after bringing the dough together and fit it into the pie plate. I think that may be easier than patting it into the pan, especially for making the crust rise over the edge of the pie plate.

[BakerAunt]

The dough can be divided into eight pieces and used for eight tarts. I still blind bake, but I reduce the heat to 400F and bake 10 minutes. Four cup basket-style coffee filters work perfectly for lining the tarts and filling with beans for blind baking.

[BakerAunt]

For an 8 1/2 inch tart, in an Emile Henry ceramic tart dish, a 75% recipe makes a perfect crust.

[BakerAunt]

I added 1 tsp. Bob's Red Mill milk powder to the dry ingredients before mixing the pie crust for the Christmas 2020 pumpkin pie. My husband complimented me on a particularly good pie crust, so I shall add it going forward.

[Author]

Posts