When it comes to pie crust, most bakers fall into one of two camps: those who wouldn’t dream of using anything but homemade, and those who swear by the convenience of store-bought crusts. So which is better – store-bought or homemade pie crust? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of each to find out.
Convenience of Store-Bought Crust
The biggest advantage of store-bought pie crust is obviously convenience. With a store-bought crust, there’s no need to measure ingredients, cut butter into flour, roll out dough, or crimp edges. You simply thaw the crust as directed, fill it, and bake. This saves a significant amount of time and effort compared to making pie crust from scratch.
Store-bought crusts are readily available at any grocery store, so you don’t have to plan ahead and make sure you have pie dough on hand. They also have a fairly long shelf life in the freezer. Most store-bought crusts come pre-formed in a pie pan, so there’s no need to transfer and shape the dough yourself.
For beginning bakers or those who struggle with techniques like rolling out dough evenly, store-bought crusts can help you achieve a nice end result with less frustration. They offer consistency batch after batch, so you know exactly what you’re getting each time.
Flavor and Texture of Homemade
While store-bought crusts offer convenience, most bakers agree that homemade crusts are superior when it comes to flavor and texture.
Homemade crusts allow you to control the ingredients. You can use high-quality butter or lard for flakiness. The flour can be tailored to your preference, whether all-purpose, bread, or pastry flour. Any flavors like vanilla extract, lemon zest, or spices can be added as desired.
With homemade crust, you can control the ratio of fat to flour, which greatly impacts the texture of the finished crust. More fat equals more flakiness. The amount of water added also contributes to the dough’s texture.
Perhaps most importantly, you control how the dough is handled. Quick, gentle handling leads to a more tender crust. Kneading develops gluten for a flakier crust. And you can roll and shape the crust precisely to fit your pie plate.
While store-bought crusts strive for light, buttery flavor and tenderness, most people find that homemade crust simply tastes fresher and crisper straight from the oven.
Ingredients in Store-Bought Crusts
Understanding the basic ingredients in store-bought pie crust can help explain some of the differences in taste, texture, and performance compared to homemade. Here are the most common ingredients:
- Flour: Typically a blend of all-purpose and cake or pastry flour. Provides structure.
- Butter and/or shortening: Contributes flakiness and richness.
- Water: Hydrates the dough to desired tenderness.
- Sugar: Aids in browning and adds sweetness.
- Salt: Enhances flavor.
- Preservatives: Help extend shelf life.
- Emulsifiers: Improve texture and prevent sogginess.
- Natural and artificial flavors: Boost butter flavor.
As you can see, store-bought crust contains some additional ingredients not found in basic homemade pie dough recipes. While they help create a convenient product, they also impact the flavor and texture profile compared to homemade.
Nutrition Comparison
Homemade crusts made with all-purpose flour, butter, and salt are simple and have minimal ingredients. As such, they have a pretty basic nutritional profile primarily from the flour and fat. Store-bought crusts have additional sugars, preservatives, and emulsifiers that affect their nutrition facts.
To compare the nutrition of store-bought versus homemade pie crusts, we’ll look at a 1/8 pie serving (or about 80g) of each:
| Nutrition Facts | Homemade Pie Crust | Store-bought Pie Crust |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 150 | 130 |
| Fat | 9g | 6g |
| Carbs | 17g | 17g |
| Protein | 2g | 2g |
| Sodium | 105mg | 260mg |
As you can see, the homemade crust is a bit higher in calories and fat, since it typically contains more butter. The store-bought has slightly higher carbs thanks to added sugars. But the biggest difference is the sodium, with the store-bought containing significantly more due to preservatives and emulsifiers.
Cost Comparison
In addition to differences in taste and nutrition, the cost of homemade versus store-bought pie crust is another consideration for many. Homemade crust requires purchasing the ingredients, which may seem pricier upfront. But when you break down the unit costs per crust, homemade can actually be more affordable.
Let’s compare the costs of ingredients to make a single 9-inch double crust pie at home versus purchasing a store-bought crust:
| Homemade Ingredients | Cost |
|---|---|
| 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour | $0.35 |
| 1 tsp salt | $0.03 |
| 1 cup butter | $1.00 |
| 1/4 cup ice water | $0.00 |
| Total per crust | $1.38 |
| Store-bought | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 package (2 crusts) | $3.49 |
| Total per crust | $1.75 |
Buying ingredients to make 2 pie crusts at home costs around $2.75, or $1.38 per crust. A packaged set of 2 store-bought crusts costs $3.49, or $1.75 per crust. Even when accounting for potential waste of excess ingredients, homemade comes out at least slightly ahead cost-wise.
Of course, prices vary greatly based on brands, sales, etc. But in general, the low costs of basic pantry ingredients gives homemade crust an advantage.
Ease of Use
In addition to cost and nutrition, ease of use is an important practical consideration when choosing between homemade and store-bought pie crust.
Store-bought crusts win hands down when it comes to convenience. As long as you follow package instructions, they require virtually no work. Thaw, unwrap, fill, and bake. Most come pre-formed in pie tins, eliminating the need to roll or transfer dough.
Homemade crust does require more hands-on effort. Measuring ingredients, cutting butter into flour, rolling, filling, and crimping edges takes time and some baking skills. However, active prep time for a homemade crust is still relatively short at just 10 to 15 minutes.
Where homemade can become more challenging is with procedures like chilling, resting, and rolling dough. Temperature and handling impact the final texture and tendency to shrink. So there is a learning curve to mastering homemade pie dough.
In terms of performance, homemade crust holds up well in the oven if handled properly. Store-bought crust can sometimes slump or shrink more during baking. Homemade also tends to deliver a crisper, flakier texture.
Overall, while store-bought crust certainly wins for pure ease of use, homemade isn’t tremendously challenging. And the payoff in terms of taste and texture is well worth the effort to many bakers.
Types of Store-Bought Crusts
If you do opt for store-bought crust, you’ll find several varieties to choose from. Here are some of the most common types:
- Refrigerated pie crusts: Sold chilled in boxes in the refrigerator case. Need to thaw before using.
- Frozen pie crusts: The most common type. Sold frozen in foil pans. Require thawing.
- Shelf-stable crusts: No refrigeration required until opened. Found on shelves near canned pie fillings.
- Graham cracker crusts: Made from graham cracker crumbs; no rolling required.
- Chocolate or vanilla cookie crusts: Made from crushed cookies like Oreos.
- Nut crusts: Made from ground nuts held together with butter. For cream and custard pies.
The most versatile are the refrigerated and frozen standard pie crusts. Thaw according to package directions before using. Shelf-stable also works well, offering convenience without refrigeration. Crumb and nut crusts are great shortcuts for pies without a bottom crust.
Tips for Best Results
To get optimal results from store-bought crusts, keep these handy tips in mind:
- Allow frozen crusts to thaw overnight in the fridge, not on the counter.
- Use a glass pie plate for best heat conduction if your crust comes in tinfoil.
- Press crusts firmly into the pie plate and trim edges to prevent shrinking.
- Chill crust before adding fillings for the sturdiest result.
- Use pie shields or foil strips to prevent over-browning of crust edges.
- Let filled pies rest on a cookie sheet to catch any spills in the oven.
With proper handling, store-bought crust can deliver pretty good results. But most bakers will still find the flavor and texture of tender, flaky homemade crust well worth the effort on special occasions.
Guidelines for Making Homemade Pie Crust
If you’re up for making your own pie dough, be sure to follow these important guidelines for success:
- Use ice cold ingredients. Keep the butter very cold and use ice water.
- Work the dough as little as possible when mixing. Overworking develops gluten, leading to toughness.
- Chill dough thoroughly before rolling out. At least 2 hours.
- Roll between two pieces of parchment or wax paper. Periodically lift to loosen from the counter.
- Transfer dough gently into the pie pan. Do not stretch or pull.
- Chill crust again once in the pan before filling and baking. Helps prevent shrinking.
With cold ingredients, gentle handling, ample chilling, and proper rolling, your homemade crust will bake up delightfully flaky and tender every time.
Foolproof Homemade Pie Crust Recipe
Once you’ve mastered basic pie dough techniques, this simple, foolproof recipe will be your go-to for flawless homemade crusts every time.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup ice water
Directions
- In a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt. Pulse to mix.
- Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized pieces.
- Drizzle ice water over mixture and pulse just until dough clumps together.
- Divide dough in half. Form into discs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- On floured surface, roll out one disc to 1/8″ thickness. Transfer to pie pan.
- Trim overhang to 1/2″. Crimp edges as desired. Fill and bake as directed in recipe.
- Roll out second disc for top crust. Cut vents or shape crust as desired.
Chilling the dough before rolling ensures a tender, flaky crust. Keep leftovers refrigerated for 2-3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Conclusion
So is store-bought pie crust as good as homemade? When convenience and ease are priorities, definitely. Store-bought crusts can deliver pretty decent results with little effort. However, for the absolute best flavor, texture, and cost savings, many bakers still consider homemade worth the extra hands-on time.
If you’re new to pie-making or short on time, high-quality store-bought crust is a great shortcut. But don’t be intimidated to try your hand at homemade if you want the ultimate taste and texture. With the right techniques, homemade pie crust can be simple and foolproof for even novice bakers.