Grub Americana

Granny Stack’s Flaky Pie Crust

Evelyn Stack, affectionately known as “Granny” by both customers and staff at Ranchman’s Café in Ponder, Texas. For over thirty-eight years this small, big-hearted woman baked some of the most outstanding pies and cobblers I've ever eaten. The secret was in the pie dough, so wonderfully flaky and tender. It is in her honor that I include her recipe on this website.

Whatcha Need:

  • 1/2 lb. vegetable shortening
  • 13 oz. all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup cold water

Whatcha Do:

  1. Place all ingredients in the large bowl of your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Blend until just well incorporated. Do not over-mix!

  2. Remove dough from mixing bowl and form portion-sized patties, wrapping each in plastic-wrap and refrigerate or freeze until needed. Be sure to let the dough come back to room temperature before rolling-out for pies.

NOTE:

  • This recipe make enough dough for four to five double piecrusts. If you don't need to make that many pies. Just portion out the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month. When you want to make a pie, just remove, let thaw until pliable and roll it out.
  • You need 1 oz. of dough for every one-inch diameter of your pie pan. In other words, for a 9” pie pan, you will need 9 oz. of dough