Paula Deen Whole Wheat Pie Crust

Paula Deen Whole Wheat Pie Crust is a two-crust dough made with whole wheat pastry flour, cold butter, lemon zest, and a pinch of cinnamon. It takes about 10 minutes of hands-on work plus an hour in the fridge. Keep this one ready for Thanksgiving pies, Sunday cobblers, or any baking day that needs a crust with real character.

Cold butter makes or breaks this dough. If it warms up before you pulse it in the food processor, the crust turns dense and tough instead of tender and flaky. Cut the butter small, keep it in the freezer until the last second, and work fast once you start pulsing. That chill is the whole trick.

Shape both disks and freeze them up to three months ahead. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let the dough sit out for 10 minutes before you roll it. If it cracks at the edges, give it another minute at room temperature.

Paula Deen Whole Wheat Pie Crust

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

530

kcal

A tender, flaky pie crust made by pulsing cold butter and whole wheat pastry flour in a food processor. Lemon zest and cinnamon give it a warm, fragrant quality that works with fruit pies, custard pies, and cobblers.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  

• 2 tablespoons sugar
  

• 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
  

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  

• Pinch salt
  

• 3 tablespoons unsalted cold butter
  

• Zest of 1 lemon
  

• 6 tablespoons ice water

Directions

• Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Place the mixture into a food processor and add the butter and lemon zest. Pulse until the butter and lemon zest begin to make the mixture crumbly. Drizzle in the water while you pulse the dough until it starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.
• Shape and chill: Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disk. On a floured surface, roll each disk out until about 1-inch thick. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Roll and use: When ready to use the dough, remove the disks from the fridge and let stand for 10 minutes. When ready to use, roll the disks out to a 1/2-inch thickness and place into desired pie plate.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart 14-cup food processor, J.K. Adams French rolling pin, Microplane zester grater. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use regular whole wheat flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour?

Whole wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat, so it makes a more tender crust. Regular whole wheat flour will work, but the texture comes out denser and chewier. If that is all you have, try replacing half of it with all-purpose flour to keep the crust from getting too heavy.

How long can I store the unbaked dough?

Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, the dough keeps in the fridge for up to three days. For longer storage, freeze the disks for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling.

Can I add nuts to the crust for extra flavor?

Paula suggests grinding pecans or walnuts to a fine texture. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon over the center of the dough as you roll it out. It adds a rich, buttery flavor that pairs well with the whole wheat and cinnamon.

Why does my crust crack when I try to roll it out?

The dough is too cold. After the hour in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for a full 10 minutes before rolling. If it still cracks at the edges, give it another minute or two. Forcing cold dough always leads to cracking.

Do I need to blind bake this crust before adding a filling?

It depends on the pie. For custard or cream fillings that do not bake very long, blind bake the crust at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Use pie weights or dried beans to keep it flat. For fruit pies that bake 45 minutes or more, you can fill the crust directly.