The pros:
Butter has the best flavor
and it forms light, lofty, flaky layers in pie crust. … The cons: Butter can be harder to work with than lard or shortening because of its lower melting point, so the dough temperature has to be just right. If it gets too warm, it will be too soft to handle and will tear easily.
Do I need shortening for pie crust?
The Theory: Conventional wisdom states that for a crust with the best flavor, you want to use all butter. But for a crust that’s easier to work with and comes out more tender and flaky, you need to cut it with a
softer fat like shortening or lard
.
How does using butter versus shortening to make your pie crust affect the outcome of the crust?
The crust’s flakiness is created by the steam produced from the water while it bakes.
The butter will add a rich flavor to your finished pie crust
. Shortening is 100% vegetable oil, which allows for a higher melting point than butter, so it stays solid within the pie crust dough in your oven longer.
What makes better pie crust lard or shortening?
Lard: If it doesn’t make you squeamish, lard makes an incredible pastry crust. It chills nicely and doesn’t break down under heat as quickly as butter. …
Shortening
: The fat of choice for pie baking in the fifties and sixties, shortening has a very high melting point, which makes it very easy to mix into pie crust.
Can you use butter instead of Crisco for pie crust?
butter. You shouldn’
t
have any issue when substituting butter for shortening here. Piecrust made with butter or margarine will not be as flaky as one made with shortening. If you’re a fan of flaky, you may not want to substitute butter for shortening in pie crust.
What does adding egg to pie crust do?
Egg: This
makes the dough more pliable and easy to roll out
. Eggs also make the crust more compact. Acid and Alcohol: Both acid and alcohol tenderize pie dough, make it easier to roll out, and prevent it from shrinking in your pan.
What is the best type of flour to use for pie crust?
Flour: For a tender crust, choose a low-protein flour.
Pastry flour
, with a protein content of about 8-10%, ranks between all-purpose flour and cake flour. All-purpose flour works just fine for pie crusts, while cake flour might lack enough protein to form a workable, elastic dough.
Is Crisco worse than butter?
Although shortening is higher in total fat, butter contains more
saturated fat
since it comes from animals and shortening is usually made from plant oils. … Saturated fat is one of the so-called “bad fats” since it can cause your cholesterol levels to increase, raising your heart disease risk.
How bad is Crisco?
Crisco and other partially hydrogenated vegetable shortenings were later found to have their own
health
issues, most notably trans fats, which were found to contribute as much to heart disease as saturated fats.
What is a healthy substitute for shortening?
Banana puree, applesauce or prune purees
are healthy substitutions for vegetable shortening. Although the flavors may be slightly different, you will become accustomed to the difference.
Is lard good for pie crust?
Leaf lard
is the highest grade of lard rendered from visceral fat surrounding pig kidneys. It has a very neutral flavor (very little pork flavor) which makes it ideal for pie crusts and baking in general as it makes a great non-hydrogenated alternative to shortening.
Which is better lard or shortening?
Lard actually
has less trans fat than shortening
and less saturated fat than butter. While it will never have a health food halo, it certainly doesn’t live up to its bad reputation.
What can I use instead of shortening in pie crust?
Butter or margarine
can be used instead, adding a couple of extra tablespoons per cup of shortening called for in a recipe. So for every 1 cup of shortening called for in a recipe, use 1 cup butter or margarine plus 2 tablespoons.
Can I combine butter and shortening?
Combining two different fats such as
margarine and shortening
will give a recipe some of each fat’s best qualities. For example, by using both butter and shortening in a cookie recipe, you will get the wonderful flavor of butter, while the shortening will keep the cookies from spreading too flat.
Can I replace Crisco with butter?
In general,
you can substitute Crisco shortening for butter or margarine in equal amounts
(1 cup Crisco shortening = 1 cup butter or margarine). Not only does Crisco shortening have 50% less saturated fat than butter and 0g trans fat per serving, it gives you higher, lighter-textured baked goods.
Why is my butter pie crust tough?
Your crust is too tough
.
If your pie crust is tough instead of tender and flaky, you probably either overworked the dough or added too much water to it. There’s not much to do in this situation but plate up a slice and throw on a scoop of ice cream. Don’t sweat it: You’ll do better next time.
