FAQs
Butter is prized for its sweet, rich flavor and is our preferred fat for pie crust recipes, but its low melting point and overall makeup can make it difficult to work with. Unlike shortening or lard, butter is not 100% fat. It contains on average 80% butterfat, 10 to 16% water, and a small percentage of milk solids.
What is the best fat to use for pie crust? ›
For some pastry chefs, butter is the obvious choice. “My preferred fat for pie crusts will always be butter. To me, it is all about flavor, and no other fat gives flavor to a crust like butter does. Other fats, even though they have great pros, lack flavor,” De Sa Martins said.
Is it better to use butter or crisco for pie crust? ›
Butter pie crust has the most flavor out of the three fats. This pie crust bakes up nice and golden brown, with plenty of flaky layers.
Why is butter the best choice for pie dough? ›
The pros: Butter has the best flavor. A butter pie crust forms light, lofty, flaky layers while it bakes. The flakiness comes partially from the water content of butter, which evaporates as the pie bakes and turns to steam, separating and puffing up the layers in dough.
Why is butter the best fat for pastry? ›
You may have wondered why we use butter rather than margarine at Carême Pastry as the preferred fat for our premium 'French' style puff pastry and shortcrust pastry. Well, it's because butter produces superior quality pastry with a lovely flaky texture, more richness, better flavour, and impressive lift.
What is the preferred fat to use in pies? ›
Butter is prized for its sweet, rich flavor and is our preferred fat for pie crust recipes, but its low melting point and overall makeup can make it difficult to work with. Unlike shortening or lard, butter is not 100% fat. It contains on average 80% butterfat, 10 to 16% water, and a small percentage of milk solids.
What brand of butter is best for pie crust? ›
The higher fat percentage in European butters, like Kerrygold and Plugra, is ideal if you're working with pastries where the quality of your dough is directly effected by the quality of your butter. Both Kerrygold and Plugra scored high when making pie dough and had a luscious mouthfeel when tasted solo.
Why is my pie crust made with butter tough? ›
The pie dough isn't given enough time to relax and chill
The pie crust could have a firm or tough texture if you bake your pie before resting your dough. Giving your dough time to rest will allow all the ingredients to chill, help the moisture distribute more evenly throughout the dough, and make it easier to roll out.
What happens if you put too much butter in a pie crust? ›
To maintain its shape during baking, pastry needs liquid to activate the flour's gluten. For flaky, tender texture, it also requires fat. The balance of those two ingredients is critical. Too much fat and the crust loses its structure and shrinks; too much liquid, it's hard and leathery.
Is it better to bake with Crisco or butter? ›
Cookies Made with Butter vs Shortening
Those made with only shortening bake higher and spread less during baking. The butter cookie provides better flavor and a crispier exterior with browning around edges and a chewy interior; the shortening cookie spreads less, holding its shape better while baking.
Start with cold butter, straight from the fridge. And if you're using European butter, which is higher in fat and softer at room temp, Sohla El-Waylly recommends cubing it and freezing it until it's firmed up. Consider the temperature of your kitchen.
What is the secret to a flaky crust? ›
The flakiness of a crust is a result of both the fat that you use and how much you work the fat into the flour before adding the water. Because of their higher melting temperature and unique structure, lard and shortening do make very flaky crusts.
What is the best fat to make pastry? ›
The best fat for pastry-making
Unless you don't eat dairy, we recommend butter for flavour and texture. You can also try a 50/50 split between butter and lard, which works well for savoury recipes like quiches. Make sure your butter is really cold when you rub it in to the flour.
Is crisco better than butter for pie crust? ›
Shortening is better at crumbly crust, butter is better at flaky. But you can get either from both. There are obvious differences in flavor, and butter can give you a very nice chewiness in a crust while still being tender. Butter also tends to shrink and lose shape/detail more when it bakes.
Which fat is preferred in baking and why? ›
From the standpoint of flavour, butter is the most desirable fat used in baking. Its main drawback is its relatively high cost. It has moderate but satisfactory shortening and creaming qualities.
Which of the following is the most popular fats for pie crust? ›
Butter is the most common type of fat used, but other solid fats will work as well. Lard produces some of the flakiest crusts I've ever tasted and I've successfully used coconut oil to create a vegan crust.
What is the best fat for making pastry? ›
Shortening is great for making pastries, cookies and cake thanks to its high fat content. This means it is also good for frying as it has a higher smoke point. It has a neutral flavour, so bear in mind if you use shortening you won't get the same buttery flavour that you get from using real butter.
Which fat is not appropriate for making pastry? ›
Margarine is similar to shortening, but may still have trans-fats, which makes label-reading a must. Yet, like shortening, it's also vegan. Still, its low melting point makes it the least desirable solid fat for baked goods. And some margarines are sold whipped with air, which makes them unsuited for baking entirely.
What is a substitute for Crisco in pie crust? ›
From biscuits to pie crusts, butter is an easy swap for shortening. In fact, you can use the exact same amount.