Press-In Pie Dough Recipe

This quick press-in pie crust is a no-fuss, no-roll recipe that can make holiday baking so much more manageable. Pastry chef Sarah Jordan ditches the food processor and makes the dough in one bowl with an electric mixer, then presses it into a rectangular pan for pre-baking. The finished crust comes out shorter and slightly crumblier than a traditional pie crust: It’s the ideal base for Jordan’s delicious handheld pie bars, which she makes in pecan, pumpkin, and zingy lemon-cranberry.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you press the pie crust instead of rolling it out?

The pressing part is easy (and surprisingly fun). To prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers, put a layer of plastic wrap on top of the dough and use the bottom of a metal measuring cup to press it evenly into the pan. (Evenness is important for a consistent bake.) As with any pie dough, using cold ingredients, especially chilled butter and ice water, is the secret to the flakiest crust. Try not to handle the dough too much with your (warm!) hands, and refrigerate the pressed-in crust for half an hour before baking.

Is pie crust better with butter or shortening?

Debate is inevitable during the holiday season, and few topics are more contested than butter vs. shortening in the pie crust arena. Butter adds more (duh) buttery flavor than shortening, which means your slice of pie will taste better overall. But shortening makes the dough more pliable and easier to roll out. In this recipe, Jordan opts for all butter (luckily, ease of rolling is not a concern).

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Feel free to try this pie crust with any of your favorite pie fillings — or just scoop in some store-bought mousse or pudding and top with whipped cream for something even simpler.

Jordan doesn’t use pie weights here; instead, halfway through baking, she presses and smooths the bottom and sides of the crust with the back of a wooden spoon.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

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