Hot Water Pie Crust
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
Pour boiling water over shortening and beat until creamy.
Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Stir together until combined.
Shape
Roll out to ⅛ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Shortening
- Provides fat that keeps the crust tender and flaky while the boiling water emulsifies it.
- Flour
- Forms the gluten and starch structure that gives the crust its body.
- Boiling water
- Melts and softens the shortening, creating a pliable dough that is easy to roll.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas to lighten the crust slightly as it bakes.
The step that matters
Rolling out to ⅛ inch thickness. Rolling too thin can make the crust tear or bake dry, while rolling too thick leaves it dense. Flouring the surface lightly keeps the dough from sticking without making it tough.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.