The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (2024)

Tenderflake Pie Pastry: Traditional, With Butter and Whole Wheat Flour

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (1)

Tenderflake Pie Pastry is the go-to recipe for every Canadian prairie home baker I know that makes homemade pies. This is the exact recipe, from the side of the box. However, I have learned a thing or two about making a great pastry over the years, and am definitely including my tips and tricks, as well.

Tenderflake Pie Pastry: Preparing the fat

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (2)

How to make a great pastry is fundamental to pie making and Canadian pastry is vastly different than that of our European counterparts. Lard rendered from a pig is where it began: leaf lard from around the kidneys and loin of the pig. As it lacks any real pork flavor with a rich appealing umami taste, it is an excellent neutral cooking fat with a high smoking point. I have rendered my own lard. You can order leaf lard fat from any pork vendor at your local farmer’s market. Surprisingly, the Tenderflake lard was sweet when compared with the home rendered lards. Kevin Kossowan and I rendered our own lard and did a tasting with three crusts made with the Tenderflake Pie Pastry recipe: one with his rendered lard, one with mine, and one with the Tenderflake lard. The tasting was revealing as the pastry made with the home rendered lard was vastly superior. Not meaty, but deeply rich and savory when compared to the pastry made with the Tenderflake lard.

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (3)

However, without the side by side tasting, the difference was difficult to describe or decern. So, a great lesson was had, but I was not compelled to render my own lard on a regular basis. I have also done another three way tasting using the Tenderflake Pie Pastry recipe with sample one using Tenderflake lard, sample two using only butter, and sample three a combination of both. The combination pastry was my preference. It didn’t deter from my taste memory or expectations in any way, yet was richer, more tender, more savory and maybe flakier. The pure butter pastry was delicious, but not the traditional pastry flavour I have grown to know and love. I make a double batch every time when making this fat combination in my pastry as I use one pound of each fat. Unsalted butter is important in this recipe as salted butter has a higher moisture content.

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (4)

As I will be cutting the fat into the flour with my Thermomix, I prepare each batch of fat by cubing the pieces, then freezing or chilling them until ice cold.

Tenderflake Pie Pastry: Preparing the Liquid

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (5)The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (6)

The liquid mixture is combined: one beaten egg, one tablespoon of vinegar and water to make one cup at eye level in a liquid measuring cup. The flour is carefully measured and combined with the salt.

Tenderflake Pie Pastry: Making the Pastry

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At this point, the fat must be cut into the flour. As this is a big batch for the Thermomix bowl, I added half of the fat a few seconds ahead of the remaining fat clearly explained in the recipe.

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (8)

The fat cut into the flour should look like tiny sweet peas or like slow cooking oatmeal flakes. The Thermomix is a powerful machine, but the precision with which the fat is cut into the flour never ceases to amaze me.

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (9)

Once the fat is cut into the flour, I pour all dry ingredients into a large bowl and work the liquid in with my hands by pouring in slowly into the side of the bowl and lightly mixing the dry ingredients to absorb the wet.

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (10)

Sometimes the dough will come together in the bowl, and sometimes I pour it onto the counter to get the moist clumps to form together in a ball. This Tenderflake Pie Pastry recipe is made using whole wheat flour, while above was of white all purpose flour.

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (11)The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (12)

Mom might add a little more liquid to the above pastry, but it was a whole wheat pie pastry, and I could feel the weight of the moisture in it, and knew it just needed a two or three kneads to form a ball. Kneading pie dough is not a good idea. The less the dough is worked, the more tender and flaky the pastry will be, yet one or two turns will not hurt it.

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (13)

Form pastry dough into a ball and divide into 6 equal portions. Each recipe makes enough for 6 single or 3 double shelled pies.

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (14)

Form each portion into a disc.

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (15)

Tenderflake Pie Pastry: Storing the Pastry

Each of the six portions is wrapped securely, labeled and dated clearly.

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (16)The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (17)The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (18)The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (19)

The discs need to rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling or can be frozen at this point, bagged in yet another tightly sealed container or bag to promote freshness. I always freeze mine, but if making the pie the same day, just rest the dough on the counter, but if making later, refrigerate the dough.

Tenderflake Pie Pastry: Rolling out the Pastry

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I lightly flour the surface area and use a sleeve over my rolling pin when rolling pie pastry. It is so slick and avoids anything sticking to the rolling pin. The pie dough below has a little whole wheat in it. Using the rolling pin to lift the rolled out pastry dough to lay it over the pie plate is a handy trick.

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (21)

Whole wheat pastry is delicious with savoury pies. I don’t make that many, but use this same Tenderflake Pie Pastry recipe every time. Sometimes I add seeds, nuts or herbs when making special quiches or tarts, and that makes for a delicious crust!

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (22)The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (23)

After rolling the dough, it gets laid over the pie plate. There should be enough dough to drape down over the sides to enable some decorative fluting.

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (24)

Tenderflake Pie Pastry: Fluting the Edges of a Pie

The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (25)The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (26)

Lard, butter, lard and butter with white flour, whole wheat flour or a combination of the two is just the beginning. Before one can change the traditional Tenderflake Pie Pastry recipe, one has to master it. Then think about adding rosemary, or thyme to savory pie pastry doughs and nutmeg or cardamom to sweet pie pastry doughs. Just a touch. In any case: Make Pie!

Tenderflake® Pie Pastry with Variations

The recipe for the flakiest pie pastry has been found on the side of the Tenderflake® box almost since the beginning of time. My grandmother used it, my mother used it. It has been used by generations of women on the Canadian prairies and is undoubtedly the "go-to" recipe for the best-ever pie pastry. I sometimes use 1/2 lard and 1/2 butter for some recipes. I also use 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 white flour for other recipes. Either way, the formula cannot be messed with if you want a flaky crust. Yield: 3 9-inch double crust pies or 6 pie shells.

CourseDough

CuisineCanadian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 6 crusts

Author Tenderflake® and Valerie Lugonja

Ingredients

  • cupsor 850g of all-purpose flour
  • 2tspor 10 g salt
  • 1poundor 465 grams Tenderflake® lard, rendered lard, or 1/2 lard and 1/2 butter, cubed
  • 1tablespoonor 15 grams vinegar
  • 1egg, lightly beaten
  • Ice Water

Instructions

  1. Whisk flour and salt; cut in ice cold fat until it is pea sized or looks like slow cooking raw oats

  2. In a 1 cup liquid measure, combine vinegar and egg; add ice water to make 1 cup

  3. Gradually pour liquid around the edges of the mixture, mixing by hand, adding only enough for dough to cling together

  4. Form gently into a ball; divide into 6 equal portions on counter

  5. Wrap and label portions

  6. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes if you are using right away, or

  7. Freeze for future use by placing wrapped pastry dough in container, tightly sealed

  8. When ready to use, roll out each portion on lightly floured surface; If pastry dough is sticking, chill for another hour or two

  9. Transfer rolled pastry dough to pie plate

  10. Trim and flute shells or crusts and bake according to your pie recipe

Instructions for the Thermomix:

  1. Weigh 850 grams flour and 10 grams salt into TM bowl; whisk for 3 seconds at speed 1-2

  2. Weigh 1/2 of 465 grams ice cold fat into TM bowl; cut into flour for 3-5 seconds at Turbo

  3. Weigh in remaining fat; cut into flour from 0-10 for 5 seconds

  4. In a 1 cup liquid measure, combine vinegar and egg; add ice water to make 1 cup

  5. Empty dry ingredients with fat cut into it into large bowl; gradually pour liquid around the edges of mixture, combining by hand, adding only enough for dough to cling together

  6. Form gently into a ball; divide into 6 equal portions

  7. Wrap and label portions; rest for 15-30 minutes before using, or

  8. Freeze by placing wrapped pastry dough in containeror labelled and dated freezer bag, tightly sealed

  9. Thaw in fridge the night prior to using; roll each portion on lightly floured surface: If dough is sticky, chill for longer period

  10. Transfer rolled pastry dough to pie plate; trim and flute shells or crusts and bake according to your pie recipe

Recipe Notes

I use a sleeve on my rolling pin which avoids any sticking. Rolling pastry dough on parchment paper makes for easy clean up (I reuse it, of course!)
Pastry flour or all purpose flour will use less liquid than whole wheat flour.
Adding herbs and spices, whole or ground nuts and seeds, cocoa or other flavours adds a lovely dimension to this pastry recipe

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The Tenderflake Pie Pastry Recipe from the side of the box (2024)

FAQs

How to make boxed pie crust better? ›

However, he suggests adding a couple of secret ingredients: vanilla and bourbon. "I mix ¼ cup of melted butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and ½ tablespoon of bourbon together and brush the inside edges and bottom of the crust before I blind bake, or before I fill the shell to make a baked pie.

Do you cook the bottom pastry first when making a pie? ›

Some recipes like quiches recommend partially cooked pie shells because the baking time wouldn't be long enough to fully cook the dough otherwise. Pre-baking a crust can ensure that your pie or tart crust will be fully baked and browned, and not soggy.

What is the blind bake method? ›

Blind baking simply refers to baking a pie crust, partially or completely, without any filling in it. Easy enough, right? The only catch is that if you're using pastry dough for your pie (versus a crumb crust), you can't just slide the pie into the oven as-is.

Why does the crust shrink away from the sides of a pie pan? ›

Any number of things can contribute to a slumping crust. Maybe your recipe uses an extra-high amount of shortening or butter, or you rolled the crust too vigorously, or you didn't let it rest and chill before baking. Perhaps you used the wrong size pan, or not enough filling.

How do you keep the bottom of a pie crust from getting soggy? ›

Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White

Coating the inside surface of the bottom crust will create a barrier to prevent sogginess.

Should I Prebake my bottom pie crust? ›

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

How to stop pastry sinking into pie? ›

How to stop pastry shrinkage
  1. Don't overwork the dough. When flour combines with liquid, proteins in it form elastic strands of gluten. ...
  2. Go easy on the liquid. ...
  3. Chill it. ...
  4. Don't trim the rim of the pastry before baking. ...
  5. Fill it up. ...
  6. Get the temperature right. ...
  7. If all else fails…

How long to prebake pie crust at 350? ›

If your recipe doesn't have instructions and you're wondering how long to pre bake the pie, here's what I do: I pre bake the prepped pie crust at 350°F. If the crust is homemade from scratch, I pre bake for 35 minutes. If the crust is store-bought, I pre bake for 30 minutes.

How long do you blind bake a pie crust without? ›

Line with the parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, filling right to the bottom of the crimps. Place the pie tin on a baking sheet, and place in the oven. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, remove the parchment paper and beans.

What happens if you don't blind bake? ›

The purpose of blind baking, aside from partially cooking the crust, is to prevent the pockets of steam in the dough from puffing up, which makes it easier to add the pie filling. The sides of the crust may also sag before they start to crisp, leaving you with a not-so-attractive slouching effect.

Why should you cut slits in the 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.

Can you overwork pie dough? ›

Additionally, overworking the dough with your hands can start to melt the butter, preventing that flaky texture from forming. Creating pea-sized bits of butter will also prevent the butter from pooling into greasy puddles as the pie bakes.

How can I improve my store-bought pie filling? ›

A quick and simple way to give your canned cherry pie filling a homemade taste is to add more flavor. Use dried spices or flavor extracts to up the flavor without adding more sugar. Start with a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract. From there, get creative with cinnamon, ginger, cloves or nutmeg.

What can I add to my pie crust for flavor? ›

Try these, then experiment on your own.
  1. Pumpkin Pie. Flavoring: 1 tablespoon grated orange zest. ...
  2. Apple Pie. FLAVORING: 4 teaspoons vanilla extract. ...
  3. Blueberry Pie. Flavoring: 2 teaspoons lavender. ...
  4. Peach Pie. Flavorings: 2 teaspoons dried thyme and 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest.
Nov 20, 2023

Can you double up Pillsbury pie crust? ›

For a double-crust slab pie (such as our Strawberry-Rhubarb Slab Pie), unroll and stack remaining two pie crusts on lightly floured surface. Roll to 17x12-inch rectangle, then place pie crust on top of filling. Pinch edges of crusts together to seal, tucking under extra pastry crust, if necessary. Flute or crimp edges.

References

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