Best Homemade Deep Dish Pie Crust Recipes

CLASSIC CRISCO PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt into bowl. Cut chilled Crisco shortening into 4 or 5 pieces and drop into stand mixer bowl.
• Using the flat beater, turn to stir speed and cut shortening into flour until particles are size of small peas, about 30 seconds.
• Gradually add ice cold water one tablespoon at a time until all particles are moistened. Use only enough water to make the pastry form a ball. Depending on a variety of factors, you may not need to use the full amount or you may need slightly more. Watch dough closely as over mixing will result in a tough crust.
• Form dough into two equal size disks and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
• Roll to 1/8" thickness between pieces of parchment paper until you have a circle slightly larger than the circumference of your pie plate.
• Fold pastry into quarters; ease into pie plate and unfold, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim and crimp edges.
• Fill and bake according to the specific pie recipe you're using.
• For a pre-baked pie crust: to blind bake this pie crust, prick sides and bottom thoroughly with a fork. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until light brown. Cool completely before filling.

DEEP-DISH FRITO PIE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Pulse 4 ounces (3 cups) of Fritos® in a food processor until finely ground. Remove and reserve half of the Frito® crumbs. Add the flour, egg, 2 ounces (1/2 cup) Cheddar, 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon salt to the crumbs in the food processor. Pulse until a uniform dough forms, add an additional tablespoon of water if needed.
• Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and use the bottom of a measuring cup to press evenly across the bottom and up the side of the pan. Prick holes in the bottom of the dough with a fork. Bake until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside while making the chili.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned but not completely cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving behind as much fat in the skillet as possible. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring, until tender but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the chili powder, tomato paste and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and reserved beef along with any accumulated juices to skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from the skillet, until the liquid is almost evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cornstarch, reserved Frito crumbs and 2 ounces (1/2 cup) Cheddar and stir until combined.
• Transfer the chili to the pie crust, top with the remaining 4 ounces (1 cup) Cheddar, cover with foil and bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes more. Let cool 15 minutes then top with a layer of sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo. Mound iceberg lettuce on top and sprinkle with pickled jalapeno slices, chopped onion, remaining Fritos and fresh cilantro leaves.

TRUE CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP-DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Mix sugar, yeast and 11 ounces room temperature water (about 80 degrees) in a bowl and let bloom for 15 minutes. Combine flour, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Once yeast has bloomed, add to dry ingredients along with corn oil. Gently combine with a rubber spatula until a rough ball is formed.
• Knead on low speed with the dough hook for 90 seconds. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and proof until doubled in size, about 6 hours. Punch down and let dough settle for 15 more minutes.
• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Coat bottom and sides of a 12-inch cake pan or traditional Chicago style pizza pan with melted butter. Using your hands, spread out about three-quarters of the dough across the bottom and up the sides of the pan (save the remainder for another use). Cover entire bottom in mozzarella, all the way up to the edge. Cover half with a thin, even layer of raw sausage. Cover the other half with the pepperoni. Top with a couple handfuls of crushed tomatoes. Spread out with hands to the edge. Sprinkle top evenly with grated Parm.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden around the edge, about 25 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes, then either gently lift pizza out of pan or just cut your slice out of the pan like a pie!

DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut each apple quarter in thirds crosswise and combine in a bowl with the zests, juices, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
• Roll out half the pie dough and drape it over a 9- or 10-inch pie pan to extend about 1/2-inch over the rim. Don't stretch the dough; if it's too small, just put it back on the board and re-roll it.
• Fill the pie with the apple mixture. Brush the edge of the bottom pie crust with the egg wash so the top crust will adhere. Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1-inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar, and cut 4 or 5 slits.
• Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the crust is browned and the juices begin to bubble out. Serve warm.
• Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

HOMEMADE DEEP DISH PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In food processor, pulse flour, salt butter and vegetable shortening until in large crumbs.
• Add cold water; pulse until mixture starts to form a ball. (Do not overmix).
• Shape dough into round disc.
• Cover with plastic wrap.
• Freeze for 10 minutes until easy to handle.
• Roll dough into 11 inch circle on floured surface.
• Fit dough into 9 1/2 inch deep dish pie plate.
• Turn edge under and flute.
• Pour in filling and bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes.

THE REAL CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a bowl. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam.
• Combine yeast mixture, flour, corn oil, and kosher salt in a large stand mixer with a hook attachment; knead until dough holds together but is still slightly sticky, about 2 minutes.
• Form dough into a ball and transfer to a buttered bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with a towel and allow dough to rise at room temperature until double in size, 6 hours.
• Punch down dough and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Press dough into a 10-inch deep dish pizza pan.