I like to think of pies as my signature dish. I rarely praise myself for something but if there is one thing I am proud of about myself, it is the ability to make a delicious pie!
It hasn’t always been this way. I became good at baking pies because I practiced and practiced. I chose pies to study because I felt like they are one of the most versatile dishes out there. Now I can whip up a delicious traditional pie, like an apple pie or a cherry pie, or something less popular, like sweet potato pie or pumpkin pie. Not to mention all the different variations of savory pies. A chicken pot pie or a roasted vegetable pie make an often appearance on our family menu.
The key to a good pie lies in the crust. I have two tried recipes for pie crust that I want to share with you today.
The one I make the most often is the sprouted flour pie crust. It’s very simple and full of real food goodness. I usually use my own homemade sprouted flour and grass-fed butter – these two quality ingredients make this pie crust so delicious!
The other recipe is a grain-free pie crust that I came up with when I was on the GAPS diet. As you may know, GAPS specifically restricts the amount of grains you can eat. But I didn’t want to give up on my delicious pies so I tried several different recipes for grain-free crusts until I finally found one that worked perfectly each time. The base for this one is coconut flour.
Necessary equipment:
- measuring cups
- a food processor
- a pie plate, glass or stone
- plastic wrap
Sprouted flour pie crust
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups of sprouted flour (how to make sprouted flour)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) of cold butter
- 1/4 cup of ice water
- 1 t. of sea salt
Instructions:
- Add the sea salt to the flour and pulse in a food processor until combined.
- Cut the cold butter into small dice and add it to the food processor.
- Continue pulsing until the butter combines with the flour and salt, forming small pea-sized lumps.
- Gradually add the ice water spoonful at the time and keep pulsing. You should get a ball-shaped dough.
- Take the dough out and press it with your hands to flatten in. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour or overnight.
- Continue making the pie according to your recipe.
Grain-free GAPS-friendly pie crust
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of coconut flour
- 6 T. of cold butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup of shredded coconut
- 1 t. of raw honey
- 1/4 t. of sea salt
- 1/4 cup of ice water
- egg white for brushing
Instructions:
- Cut the cold butter into small dice and add it to the food processor together with coconut flour.
- Pulse until combined, forming small pea-sized lumps.
- Add in the eggs, shredded coconut, raw honey, and sea salt. Pulse to combine.
- Gradually add the ice water spoonful at the time and keep pulsing. You should get a ball-shaped dough. If you need to, add more water.
- Take the dough out and press it with your hands to flatten in. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour or overnight.
- Continue making the pie according to your recipe.