Easy, flaky Wham Bam Pie Crust recipe (2024)

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Wham Bam Pie Crust is the easiest pie crust ever! No rolling pins, no cold butter and no fuss but you still get a tender and flaky pie crust!

THE EASIEST AND FLAKIEST PIE CRUST

I like frozen pie crusts.Many of them are really good these days since many companies have really stepped up the quality of ingredients. But sometimes I want to use my own pie pans instead of the one that comes with the frozen crusts. And sometimes, that rustic look of a totally homemade pie just does something to me. I love the look of an imperfect, golden, flaky crust that has been crimped by my fingers

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NO ROLLING PIN, NO COLD BUTTER, NO TRICKS

But I need that crust to be easy to make. This crust is perfect for any one-crust pie.Like my Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie, Southern Pecan Pie or Strawberry Pie.Or even for savory pies like Country Tomato Bacon Pie. It’s called Wham Bam because you don’t have to worry about cutting in cold butter orshortening like you do normal pie crusts or add in super cold ice water.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE EASIEST PIE CRUST

There is no rolling out of the dough (unless you really want to.) You stir it together and push it around with your fingers into the pie pan. It takes just a bit of time to spread it all around.But keep in mind, it’s the bottom part of your pie crust, it doesn’t have to be showcase beautiful. It’s very forgiving. But it’s also tender and flaky and bakes up to a beautiful golden color. Also, if you can find it, use White Lily brand flour. It is amazing in baked goods!

Easy, flaky Wham Bam Pie Crust recipe (2)

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

  • all-purpose flour – I prefer White Lily brand flour – it will always be my favorite but I know it’s not easy to find outside of the the southern United States so just go with your personal favorite here – also, you cannot use self-rising flour in this recipe
  • salt – this gives it a bit of flavor without tasting salty and works well with sweet pies
  • vegetable oil – it seems like a strange ingredient in pie crust, you’d expect butter or shortening right? But trust me, it absolutely works! I have not used other oils but you want to use an oil with a neutral flavor because you don’t want to taste the oil in the pie crust
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HOW TO MAKE WHAM BAM PIE CRUST:

In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt.Stir in oil and water.

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Mix until combined.Then form it into a ball.

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Spray your pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.It’s not really necessary butI just want to doubly make sure there is no sticking and it makes this dough just a bit easier to spread in the dish.

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Now, start pushing down on your ball of dough and begin spreading it towards the sides.

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Do as best as you can to evenly pull it up the sides.You’ll want plenty of dough up the sides too so you can crimp it at the top edge.

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You can even get in there with your knuckles if you need to.

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This is very forgiving dough.See that little tear there where I pulled the dough a little too hard?

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Just smush around the dough with your thumb or fingers.It’ll seal right back up.

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Make sure you also press down into the bottom rim of the pan too to spread out the dough and so it’s not too thick.

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And then you can start to go around and crimp the top edges of the crust.

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Now, this does not have to be perfect.I don’t know about you, but I like those little imperfections in baking.

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It lets folks know you made this all yourself.It’s rustic and it’s homemade. It should look that way. It bakes up beautifully golden and tender and flaky.It makes the perfect base for any of your one crust pies.And even the least-experienced of bakers can manage this easy and forgiving crust.

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TO PRE-BAKE:Poke crust with a fork, all over the inside of the crust (so it doesn’t puff up too much while baking). Or if you have beans, you can line your crust on top with foil and then put beans inside to weigh it down to keep it from puffing up. Then bake at 400F degrees for about 10-15 minutes (maybe a tad longer). It should be golden in color.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

  • Butter Crumble Apple Pie
  • Grammie’s Swedish Apple Pie
  • Apple Slab Pie
  • Blueberry Pie
  • Crock Pot Pecan Pie

Originally published: September 2012
Updated & republished: October 2019

Easy, flaky Wham Bam Pie Crust recipe (16)

Wham Bam Pie Crust (+Video)

Wham Bam Pie Crust is the easiest pie crust ever! No rolling pins, no cold butter and no fuss but you still get a tender and flaky pie crust!

4.93 from 70 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Author: Brandie @ The Country Cook

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt.

  • Stir in oil and water. Mix until combined.

  • Then form it into a ball. It will be thick.

  • Spray a standard pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. Put the ball of dough in the middle of your pie dish.

  • Start pushing down on the dough ball and begin spreading it towards the sides. Do as best as you can to evenly pull it up the sides. This will take a few minutes

  • You'll want plenty of dough up the sides too so you can crimp it at the top edge. You can even get in there with your knuckles if you need to.

  • Make sure you also press down into the bottom rim of the pan too to spread out the dough and so it’s not too thick.

  • Then you can start to go around and crimp the top edges of the crust.

  • Once it’s ready, fill with your favorite filling and bake according to your pie recipe directions.

Video

Notes

  • If you are using this crust in a recipe that calls for a pre-baked pie crust. Before baking, just make sure you use a fork and prick lots of little holes all over the crust. This will keep the crust from puffing up too much while baking.
  • Remember, this does not have to be perfect. It’s a bottom-only pie crust.
    It’s rustic and it’s homemade. It should look that way.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Sodium: 194mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

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  • Homemade White Cake
Easy, flaky Wham Bam Pie Crust recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best flour to use in flaky pie crust? ›

What kind of flour makes the best pie crust? Well, not high-protein bread flour! Use that for your chewy bagels. What you want for pie is flour that yields a tender, flaky crust, which means medium-protein all-purpose flour or low-protein pastry flour.

How to make a flaky bottom pie crust? ›

Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White

Adding a layer of corn syrup or a slightly beaten egg white before pouring in the filling will form a seal between the pie dough and the filling and will help make the crust crisp and flaky.

What is a trick to making a good pie crust? ›

10 Tips for Making Perfect Pie Crust
  1. Use Very Cold Butter or Fat. ...
  2. Retain Some Chunks. ...
  3. Limit the Water. ...
  4. Chill the Dough. ...
  5. Roll the Dough, Turn the Dough. ...
  6. Think Curbs, Not Driveways. ...
  7. Let the Dough Fall Into the Pan. ...
  8. Chill the Lined Pie Pan.
Oct 20, 2019

Which is the best fat to use when making a flaky pie crust? ›

Vegetable Shortening

As shortening is able to withstand higher temperatures and does not melt easily, it creates flaky and crisp yet tender pie crusts when used alone or in combination with butter.

What is the number 2 most important thing when making pie crust? ›

I like to use pastry flour because it contains less gluten than all-purpose flour and therefore creates a more tender crust, but all-purpose flour will work just fine if that's what you have on hand. The “2” is fat. Butter is the most common type of fat used, but other solid fats will work as well.

What makes flaky pastry flaky? ›

With a flaky pastry, like this one, the butter is not neatly layered, the butter is mixed with the flour so the layers in the finished pastry are less delicate and less even, it makes a pastry that is incredibly flaky but also a bit more robust.

Should I bake the bottom pie crust first? ›

But the one surefire way to make certain your pie's crust will be golden brown, crisp, and delicious — just as appealing as its filling — is to prebake it. That's right: bake the bottom crust first, before adding the filling.

Should you poke holes in bottom of pie crust? ›

With docking, the holes allow steam to escape, so the crust should stay flat against the baking dish when it isn't held down by pie weights or a filling. Otherwise the crust can puff up, not only impacting appearance but also leaving you with less space for whatever filling you have planned.

What should one avoid when making a pie crust? ›

The Most Common Pie Crust Mistakes (And Ways To Avoid Them)
  1. The ingredients are too warm. ...
  2. The pie dough is overworked from excessive mixing or rolling. ...
  3. The pie dough isn't given enough time to relax and chill. ...
  4. The pie dough is shrinking down the sides of the pan.
Oct 18, 2022

How long should you chill pie dough before rolling out? ›

Right: The same dough after it's been gently rolled over with a pin.
  1. I always roll out my dough between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap. ...
  2. I always chill my dough for at least 2 hours before rolling out, and then chill again for at least 1 hour after shaping in the pie pan.
Nov 21, 2023

Is it better to make a pie crust with shortening or butter? ›

Yes, you can use shortening as the fat in a pie crust recipe. Shortening creates a flakier crust than butter, but the flavor won't be as good. To improve the flavor, add an egg, a little apple cider vinegar and sugar.

Is Crisco or lard better for pie crust? ›

Crisco makes a very solid and well formed general crust for most pies. Lard makes a crisp crust great for fruit and custard pies but lack a bit for meat pies and cobblers in my opinion. Tallow or beef fat pies are great for soft crusts for meat pies but will soak up too much liquid for fruit or custards.

What are the six ways to ensure a tender flaky pie crust? ›

7 pie crust tips for tender, flaky results every time
  1. 1Keep the dough ingredients cool.
  2. 2Use a light touch.
  3. 3Hydrate the dough (but not too much)
  4. 4Chill the dough.
  5. 5Keep the dough from sticking.
  6. 6Roll the dough out evenly.
  7. 7Relax.
Nov 4, 2022

Is pie crust better with butter or oil? ›

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. Butter pie crust is the most sturdy and will support the weight of your favorite pie fillings.

What is flaky pie dough made of? ›

Pie Crust Ingredients

Flour: This flaky pie crust recipe starts with all-purpose flour. Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavor and promotes a tender, moist crust. Butter: Cold butter adds rich flavor and creates steam as it melts, ensuring a perfectly flaky finished product.

Why is plain flour used in flaky pastry? ›

Flour- Flour forms the structure of the pastry. Soft plain flour (low gluten content) used in shortcrust to give a short crumb. Strong plain flour (high gluten content) used in flaky/rough puff pastry to give the pastry its elasticity.

What is the best flour used for pastry? ›

Pastry Flour

Falling between all-purpose and cake flour, pastry flour is also made from soft wheat, but with a 7–9 percent protein content. It produces both the tender crumb and flaky texture that is desired in most pastries. It should not be used for baking bread because it has too little gluten.

What is the best flour to use in flaky pie crust quizlet? ›

What flour is best for pie dough? Pastry flour is the best choice. It has enough gluten for structure and flakiness, yet is low enough in gluten to yield a tender product.

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