I find making pie dough from scratch slightly intimidating. It feels so finicky to me—the temperature has to be just right, it can’t be handled too much, and you have to add just the right amount of water. Then it has to be rolled out, which is the part I hate the most. It inevitably sticks to my work surface because I’m always worried I’ve added too much flour. Also, how does everyone else keep it so perfectly round? It’s slightly embarrassing to admit all of this in such a public way, especially as a culinary professional, but I don’t think I’m alone.
And that’s where store-bought pie crust comes in. It skips the tedious, time-consuming step of making pie dough from scratch and makes life a whole lot easier. But there are some downsides. You don’t get quite the same flakiness, and the flavor can be lacking.
So I set out to find easy ways to upgrade store-bought pie crust with minimal extra ingredients and effort. Otherwise, what’s the point, right? I did a bit of research to see what was already out there and to learn what makes homemade pie crust so tasty. I came up with five different methods to test, and in the end, I found three that are definitely worth trying.
How I Tested the Pie Crust Upgrades
I used store-brand pie dough from my local grocery store—the refrigerated kind that comes rolled up two to a pack. I avoided the frozen crusts that come preformed in a tin because I find them too limiting, and I could see the methods I tried being used for more than just making pie.
I made a batch of apple pie filling and made six mini apple pies in a large-cup muffin tin. Everything was kept the same—the filling, baking time, and brand of crust—except for the upgrade. I tested the five upgrades against one plain-crust mini pie so I could compare the appearance, texture, and flavor of each one. Once they had enough time to cool and set, I dug in, and the winners were obvious right away.
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The Winners
1. Adding More Butter
This was my favorite method, and it’s one I’ll be using from now on—butter really does make everything better. After doing my pie dough research, the one thing that stuck in my head was the importance of cold butter being evenly dispersed throughout the dough to create flaky layers. That made me think about lamination and how puff pastry is made.
Why it works: The added butter brings a lovely richness to a crust that can otherwise taste flat. The nuttiness of the butter shines through even with the bold flavors of the apple pie filling. Layering the two crusts with cold grated butter also creates distinct layers of dough and butter, helping mimic the flakiness of homemade pastry. It’s a slightly involved extra step, but it was easy to do and makes a real difference, so it’s definitely worth it. This method requires two crusts for every crust you need for your pie, so if you need both a bottom and top crust, you’ll use four crusts, or two boxes total.
How to do it:
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Grate 4 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter and stick it in the freezer to stay chilled while the pie crusts sit out to soften.
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Unroll one softened crust on a lightly floured surface and sprinkle the grated butter evenly over it. Unroll the second crust and place it on top. Using a rolling pin and working from the center out, roll the crusts until they’re roughly the same thickness as a single crust, about 1/8 inch thick. It’s important to work quickly so the butter stays cold.
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Repeat the above steps for the second set of crusts.
2. Adding Toasted Nuts
Toasted nuts were another clear winner. They add flavor, texture, and a little visual interest with such a simple step. Pecans are a favorite of mine, and I happened to have some on hand, so I went with those. But I can see this working with other nuts that have a distinct flavor, like pistachios, walnuts, or hazelnuts.
Why it works: Toasted nuts bring their own buttery, savory flavor and give the crust a more interesting texture. The flavor was noticeable throughout; in fact, this was the only method besides the added butter that I could taste in both the top and bottom crusts. It’s worth adding to both crusts if you’re making a double-crust pie. This add-on does introduce an allergen, and it won’t work for every type of pie, but when it does fit, it’s totally worth it.
How to do it:
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You’ll need 1/4 cup of finely chopped toasted nuts per crust.
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Unroll a softened crust on a lightly floured surface and sprinkle the finely chopped nuts evenly over the top. Using your hands or a rolling pin, gently press the nuts into the crust. You’re not trying to roll the crust any thinner; just apply enough pressure for the nuts to adhere.
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For the bottom crust, place it in the pie dish with the nut side facing up, so the nuts are on the inside with the filling. For the top crust, place it with the nut side facing out. Lightly brush the crust with egg wash.
3. Adding Sugar and Warm Spices
A simple sprinkle of sugar can make a plain pie crust look and taste much more appealing, and adding some spice to the mix gives the crust another dimension of flavor. You can use cinnamon sugar, as I did, or experiment with other spices like nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger, or a spice blend, depending on the flavor of the pie filling.
Why it works: Sugar helps the crust brown and adds a delicate crispness, while spices give the pastry more flavor with almost no extra effort. The bottom crust won’t brown like the top crust, but the added sugar and spice still provide flavor, so it’s worth adding the mixture to both crusts.
How to do it:
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Combine 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
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Unroll a softened crust on a lightly floured surface and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top. Using your hands, gently rub or pat the sugar-and-spice mixture into the crust.
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For the bottom crust, place it in the pie dish with the cinnamon-sugar side facing up, so the mixture is on the inside with the filling. For the top crust, place it with the cinnamon-sugar side facing out. Lightly brush the crust with egg wash.
The Bottom Line
Making a basic store-bought pie crust taste more homemade doesn’t require you to be a baking expert. It’s about knowing a few simple tricks—like the ones above—to turn a shortcut into something a little more special. Pick one method, or experiment with a combination of the three. Most of all, just have fun with it and see which upgrades you like best.
Read the original article on Simply Recipes