Whole-Grain Low fat Pie Crust

This low-fat oil pie crust is 100% whole grain and has great flavor and texture. Tried and true, it never let me down and people have always really liked it. We made it for many years until I created the fat-free one that we use now.

This prebaked crust was made from leftover dough which I had put in the freezer! It would also have been great to use for a pot pie.

Pie crust can be daunting to many people, mostly it just takes persistence and practice to get the feel of the dough. Fortunately, for those who don’t have the time or desire, you can now buy whole-grain pie crusts at the market. They often use saturated fats in larger quantities than when you make your own, so be sure and read the labels to find the best one. Go for the whole grains which are vital for good nutrition and health.

This recipe is made with a combination of whole-wheat pastry flour and oat flour. Both of these grains result in a more tender product than when using bread flour which is high gluten, consequently less fat is needed to achieve a nice crust. For an oil-free and gluten-free pie crust see Tender Oil-Free Pie Crust.

One picture is often worth a thousand words, in this case one demonstration would be, but these pictures will have to do for now. Read through all the directions, getting it in your imagination before you start and everything should go well.

You can see the plastic wrap under the dough and another laid out over top. Roll the dough between the pieces of saran until the dough is about an inch larger than the pie plate.

Dispose of the top saran and turn the remaining one over with the dough side down and carefully mold it into the plate so there are no air pockets.

Fluting is always fun! Kind of like a reward for doing the job.

The final result of of this crust went to a pumpkin pie!

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Whole-Grain Low fat Pie Crust

Servings – 1 large double crust
Prep Time – 5-10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups stirred whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup oat flour —you can always blend oats to make your own

1/2 teas salt

1/3 cup + 2 tbsp oil

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp water —you may not need it all

Instructions:

Stir the flour before measuring. Combine first three ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Add the oil and mix throughout with a pastry blender. Do not overwork. It should just be small clumps the size of peas or a little larger.
Add the water and mix it in with a fork. If the dough is dry, add an additional tablespoon or two of water, just enough that it comes together in a ball.
Wipe your counter with a damp, not wet, sponge, Lay down a piece of plastic wrap a little longer than the width of the wrap. Press out any wrinkles and smooth to the counter.
Place a little more than half the dough in the middle of the wrap and flatten, lightly making it round with your hands (you can see above that I used a fork). Lay another piece of wrap on the top, and roll the dough into a nice thin circle. You may have to lift the wrap slightly and smooth it if it gets caught under the edge of the dough. Wax paper actually works best for the top layer if you happen to have any.
Remove the top saran or paper. Get your pie plate and put it right next to your dough. Pick up the pastic under the dough from the narrow end and carefully lay it across the pie plate, dough side down. Ease in and smooth up sides, removing any air bubbles. Carefully remove plastic wrap from the dough.
Flute edges of pie dough and for a prebaked crust, preheat oven to 400°, baking for approximately 12 minutes, checking so it doesn’t get overcooked.
For a double crust pie, repeat steps 4, and 5, put the filling in your bottom crust and dampen the top edge lightly with your finger. Follow step 6, centering crust over filling, pressing top crust to bottom crust on the edges. Cut off any excess dough and flute the edges. Cut slits for venting. and bake according to directions for that particular pie.

Notes:

To view some examples, the Pumpkin Pie is a one-crust cooked pie. The chocolate or banana cream are precooked crusts, and the Fresh Peach Pie is a filled two-crust pie.