• About
  • Contact
  • Work with me
  • As Seen In

84th&3rd

Unprocessed allergy-friendly recipes

84thand3rd
  • Food
    • *THAT* Chocolate Cake
    • Recipes
    • Dining Out
  • Travel
  • Life
« Pumpkin Pie Perfection
Sweet Adventures Blog Hop Bling – Pavlova »

Whole Spelt Pie Crust

November 23, 2011 By JJ 21 Comments

11-11-20_SpeltCrust

HEY, HEY YOU! I’ve recently updated this recipe over here — you may want to pop over and use the new one instead! It’s been refined over the past five years but I wanted to keep this one (instead of doing a 301 redirect for all you good blogger types) because I do think it’s important to keep a record of where you’ve been. ~ JJ

———

I probably shouldn’t start a pie crust post by telling you that I don’t really like crust. Scandalous isn’t it? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it, and am very picky about it, but like it? Meh. I’d rather eat the filling with a spoon. FYI, when I say ‘I’d rather’ it means ‘I do’, those two half eaten Pumpkin Pies in my fridge, there is a good chance that one of them has half a plate of perfectly preserved crust with all pie filling mysteriously missing.

In any case, yesterday I promised you Pie Crust. It’s the least I could do, leaving you with a Pumpkin Pie recipe and no crust. I made this with the same intention as the pie – all the deliciousness, none of the badness – it was a roaring success. I honestly wasn’t sure how this was going to turn out… but it is crumbly and rich and hearty and would work well for pretty much any pie.

11-11-20_SpeltCrust

A combination of my 50-year-old tried and tested shortcrust recipe, an oil pastry and a bit of experimentation, it’s a truck load better for you than traditional pastry and is pretty darn simple to make. You could even add spices or herbs to it for variations on flavour.

Coconut oil is liquid at a warm-ish room temperature and hard as a rock when refrigerated – you want it in-between to make the dough.  If it is winter, room temp is usually perfect, but if it is too melted or goopy [technical term], pop it in the fridge for a few minutes and stir a couple times. Honestly you could probably just use it as a liquid oil and mix it through but I haven’t tried it this way.

11-11-20_SpeltCrust

The dough is a bit wetter than traditional shortcrust – add the full 3T of water anyway. The first one I made only used 2T and it was just a bit too hard to work with [the next few pics are from the 2T water batch, the 3T version didn’t crumble nearly as much when rolling or getting it into the pan]

To roll this out you want it to be coolish room temp.  I use baking [parchment] paper to roll out crusts, cookies etc and it works really well here, you don’t need any extra flour either. The dough will start out crumbly, just keep tapping it together with your hands as you roll – it will be perfect in no time as it warms up.

11-11-20_SpeltCrust

Although slightly fiddly to get into the pan, the dough is pretty forgiving overall and a cinch to patch and stick together without needing any extra water. It is also stable enough to make it fancy and scalloped or just finish the edge plain. It really just depends on what kind of mood you are in and what the filling calls for. You may need to stick it in the fridge briefly before making a fancy finished edge – again, it depends on the temp of your kitchen and your hands.  My hands are always freezing – not a particularly convenient trait, aside from making pastry, it’s perfect for making pastry.

11-11-20_SpeltCrust

Use any filling you wish. Bake according to whatever pie recipe you are using. Don’t feel guilty about eating the crust.

11-11-20_SpeltCrust

Whole Spelt Pie Crust

HI, IF YOU SOMEHOW MISSED THE NOTE ABOVE…  I’ve recently updated this recipe over here — you may want to pop over and use the new one instead! ~ JJ

———

 Ingredients:

  • 2 c whole spelt flour (240 g)
  • ½ c virgin coconut oil, semi-solid (125 ml; 110 g)
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 5 – 6 US Tbsp ice water (75 – 90 mls)

Quick Method:

Mix together flour and salt. Cut in coconut oil until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Gently toss through water.

Press into a round and refrigerate. Bring to room temp, roll out, line pie pan and fill as desired. Bake according to chosen pie recipe.

Full Method:

Stir together flour and salt. Cut through coconut oil with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Coconut oil should be the consistency of vegetable shortening or firm butter*.

Add water and gently toss through with a fork. Press together with your hands and form into flat-ish disk. I found this dough is wetter initially than traditional shortcrust but any less water makes it too crumbly to work with later on. The flour absorbs the moisture as it rests in the fridge.

Wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. I make mine the day before I need it to save time. When ready to bake the pie, allow dough to sit out for about half an hour to come to room temp – coconut oil is solid when cold and it needs to soften just a bit.

Use a piece of baking [parchment] paper to roll out the dough. Press gently with a rolling pin to get it started and continue to press any cracks or crumbs back together as you roll.  As it warms up a bit it will smooth out quite nicely. Loosen once or twice from the paper to make it easier to work.

Gently flip over on to pie pan, remove paper and fit to base. Create edge of your choosing and refrigerate for 15 minutes before filling and baking according to your pie recipe.

*Notes:

  • Coconut oil is liquid at a warm-ish room temperature.  If it is winter, room temp should be fine, but if it is too melted or soft, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes and stir a couple times. Try not to let it get too cold as it will be completely solid
  • You could substitute vegetable shortening [Crisco in America-land, I have yet to find a substitute in Australia] and maybe a pat of butter like in traditional pastry but coconut oil is better for you and still makes a nice flaky crust.
  • UPDATE: I originally had ‘coconut butter’ listed as an alternative to the coconut oil in the ingredient list but have since discovered it it not the same thing. Coconut butter has coconut flesh as well as the oil in it. Use only the oil for this recipe.

 

Related Posts

Half-Spelt Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

Half-Spelt Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

Orange & Coconut Buns

Orange & Coconut Buns

Pumpkin Tahini Toast

Pumpkin Tahini Toast

Seriously Amazing Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (they're Dairy Free too)

Seriously Amazing Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (they're Dairy Free too)

Filed Under: All Posts, Food, RecipeBox Tagged With: Coconut, Dairy Free, Dessert, How-to, Pie Crust, Pie!, Spelt, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian

Comments

  1. Jennifer (Delicieux) says

    November 25, 2011 at 3:50 pm

    This looks like a fantastic pie crust!!! I’m yet to experiment with flours for my pie crusts. I usually go straight to Dorie Greenspans recipe as it’s fabulous.

    By the way, loved your technical term “too melted and goopy”. That made me laugh!

    Reply
    • JJ says

      November 29, 2011 at 11:18 pm

      This is the first non-white flour one I have made, v excited it worked out!

      Reply
  2. Ann says

    November 27, 2011 at 2:26 pm

    I love pumpkin pie without the crust!! I make it with crust because that’s what you’re supposed to do and my family would be irritated if I made it any other way. I eat just the filling and leave as you describe perfectly preserved crust. It takes pure and raw talent to extract that filling and leave the crust behind. Your spelt crust does look tasty. I may try to make it someday. However, finding virgin coconut oil in Wisconsin may be difficult. I love your site. I will visit again!

    Reply
    • JJ says

      November 29, 2011 at 11:21 pm

      Thanks Ann, any health food store should have virgin coconut oil – even in Wisconsin 😉 but you can find it from quite a few online places as well. I’ve been using it quite a bit lately. Glad to find a kindred pie-filling-with-a-spoon soul!

      Reply
  3. beti says

    December 5, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    it looks so perfect! it is basic to have a pie crust recipe

    Reply
  4. Jayne White says

    December 16, 2012 at 11:16 am

    Is copha the same as solid coconut oil? I have been wondering this for a while as I have some of that in the fridge in Australia. I will try this I love the swirly one it looks great. 🙂

    Reply
    • JJ says

      December 16, 2012 at 11:19 am

      Hi Jayne, I believe copha is refined and pretty horrid stuff… Extra Virgin Coconut Oil has great health benefits. You could certainly use the copha but it wouldn’t be nearly as healthy ;D

      Reply
  5. CDS says

    April 14, 2013 at 2:07 pm

    Amazing recipe! The pie crusts I made turned out fabulous.

    Reply
  6. Kathy says

    May 18, 2015 at 7:47 am

    I am just experimenting with using spelt instead of all purpose flour and my first try with crisco instead of coconut oil taste great but the crust is very crumbly and not sure its going to hold together enough to scoop out pie. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • JJ says

      May 20, 2015 at 5:08 pm

      Hi Kathy, did you try my recipe or another one? You need to cut the fat through the flour well (until like breadcrumbs) and add enough water – as per the recipe “I found this dough is wetter initially than traditional shortcrust but any less water makes it too crumbly to work with later on. The flour absorbs the moisture as it rests in the fridge.” Spelt flour doesn’t have as much gluten as standard wheat flour so the water is necessary to hole it all together. ~ J

      Reply
  7. Valesca says

    December 22, 2015 at 8:30 am

    This looks great! Does this crust needs a blind bake before the filling gets in?

    Reply
    • JJ says

      December 22, 2015 at 10:38 am

      Hi Valesca, thanks! If you’d normally blind bake the crust for your filling then do the same with this one, if you’d normally fill it then bake, do that. It works either way! ~ JJ

      Reply
  8. hh says

    August 11, 2016 at 12:17 am

    can the pastry be frozen before baking?

    Reply
    • JJ says

      August 22, 2016 at 11:09 pm

      Not sure as I always make it fresh but I don’t see why not. Just make sure to thaw fully in the fridge before rolling and baking. ~ JJ

      Reply
  9. ivona says

    November 8, 2016 at 5:09 am

    Dear JJ thx for this recipe! I just made it according to ur recipe however after I baked it (and then filled it) for 25 min at 180 celsius it completely broke apart into piecea so I wasn’t able to finish with filling and the rest..what did I do wrong acxording to ur opinion? Such a pitty because it is soooo tasty

    Reply
    • JJ says

      December 13, 2016 at 8:36 pm

      Hi Ivona, I’ve always filled the raw crust then baked it and haven’t had any issues. If blind-baking the crust before filling, most crusts only need 12-15 minutes, 25 mins would have dried it out far too much (not sure what recipe your timing came from as I don’t mention blind-baking above). ~ JJ

      Reply
  10. Erin says

    March 7, 2017 at 4:17 pm

    What temp and length of time would you suggest if I wanted to make mini pies in a muffin tin?

    Reply
    • JJ says

      March 7, 2017 at 4:47 pm

      Hi Erin, it’s more dependant on your filling than anything else, as that still needs to bake through so I can’t really advise. If blind baking I’d do it at 180C/350F for 10 mins with weights then another 5 – 10 with the paper removed. ~JJ

      Reply
  11. Cally says

    September 20, 2017 at 6:13 am

    Can I make a lattice with this crust?

    Reply
    • JJ says

      September 22, 2017 at 10:01 am

      Hi Cally, I don’t see why not, although it’s not as elastic as traditional crust – you may want to check out the updated recipe here though – http://84thand3rd.com/vegan-spelt-pie-crust ~ JJ

      Reply
  12. Maroula says

    November 18, 2018 at 4:58 pm

    Hello,
    Would this recipe work for sausage rolls??

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get social

84th-instagram 84th-heart 84th-facebook 84th-youtube
84th-twitter 84th-pinterest 84th-gplus 84th-star

Subscribe

New posts, straight to your inbox, simple as that.

Browse by…

Almost Recipe America-land Autumn BlogHop Boozer Bread Breakfast Brunch Cake! Chocolate Christmas Christmas Recipes Coconut Cookbook Cookies Dairy Free Deliciousness Dessert Dinner Family Fruit Gluten Free Had-to-share Holidays Ingredient Focus Inspiration Lunch Mad Science Nuts On-blogging Photo-A-Day Pie! Probably Paleo Refined Sugar Free Sauces Sides Snacks Stuff-n-Things Summer Sydney Thanksgiving / Christmas Treats Vegan Vegetarian Winter

@84thand3rd on Instagram

Apertivo debris. 🥃🧀🫒 • That’s it. Tha Apertivo debris. 🥃🧀🫒
•
That’s it. That’s the post.
Apparently today is National Strawberry Day, it’ Apparently today is National Strawberry Day, it’s overcast and raining in LA (so a plate of sunshine is absolutely necessary), and if you’ve been here for more than a hot second you know how I feel about toast.
🍞🍓🥒🌱
Toasted sourdough, goat chèvre (or vegan cream cheese), sliced strawberries, cucumber ribbons, fresh mint, olive oil, black pepper, just a pinch of salt. Go forth and feast.
.
.
.
.
.
#f52grams #f52community #whatsforbreakfast #eatrealfood #stuffontoast #nationalstrawberryday #lifeandthyme #eeeeeats #beautifulfood #foodandwine
I took this video on Jan 1. I even wrote a caption I took this video on Jan 1. I even wrote a caption and everything. And I intended to post it that day as a reflection moving into a new year. But instead, mom and I went out for pizza and wine, and then it was Jan 2, and so on and so on. 
🌀
So instead you’re getting it on Feb 1. A new day and another new month (but what is a new month or a new year, other than a societal convention really). 
☀️
Because, each day, each sunrise, we have the opportunity to start anew - no matter how big or little that start may be. A chance to take another step forward - no matter how many steps back you feel you’re fighting against. 
🌀
Whether this past year brought blinding joy or paralysing grief (and in whatever measure of balance or imbalance), I hope each new day sees the landscape of your life look one step closer to what you imagine it to be. And that when the waves roll in and change that landscape, you can roll with it and see the beauty and possibility on the other side.
🌊
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations, have a cookie 🍪 And I’ll leave you with the rolling waves and blue sky of a California beach in January. I truly hope this year sees us all grow stronger and move forward with each new day. Going backwards is simply not an option. 
🪩
What’s your order? 🍳 … When the middle litt What’s your order? 🍳
…
When the middle little insisted on buying quail eggs over Christmas, but due to allll the other food we never cooked them, I simply couldn’t let the little guys go to waste. 
🥚
Could I have made one dish? Of course. Did I instead prepare quail eggs four ways, bake mini loaves of brioche, make mini waffles, dig through the prop closet for the smallest dishes, and set up an entire table? Of course I did. 
💥
Swipe to the end for reference on the size of the eggs and loaf.
🌀
Prep, styling, 📷 & 👋🏻 by me 💁🏼‍♀️.
.
.
.
.
#whatsforbreakfast #beautifulcuisines #eggsforbreakfast #lifeandthyme #foodandwine #foodartproject
Happy Blursday. ☕️ ••• Styled & poured b Happy Blursday. ☕️
•••
Styled & poured by me 💁🏼‍♀️, photographed & lit by @ivansocal 📷, at @plateandpatina 🍽
•••
Pour-over vessel is a @decadentpantry test piece that came with me from Sydney. That’s it, I got nothing else. Send kittens.
.
.
.
#stopmotionanimation #stopmotion #manmakecoffee #pourovercoffee #pourover #coffeecoffeecoffee
My go-to pizza topping combo 🍕 Made on that dou My go-to pizza topping combo 🍕 Made on that dough from a couple weeks ago and voiced by the middle little (who is about as different from her younger sister as you can get!) 💥.
🍕
Sometimes this combo gets prawns too 🍤. Most of the time I don’t bother mixing the ingredients in a bowl and just layer them on top. The cheese is a hard goat cheese (because I can’t do 🐄). The ‘spices’ 🌱 is Sicilian oregano. The measurements are random at best - a handful of this, a splash of that. 
🍕
If you have a fave veggie or seafood pizza combo I’d love to hear it. Because as Ms.S says, voila, yummy yummy pizza!
Flowers for your Friday, that is all. 
🌹🌺🌸
.
.
Setup inspired by the amazing @hughstewart_ 
.
.
.
.
.
#stilllife #floralarrangement #florals #mystillmoments #stilllifephotos
Look at me, coming at’cha with a double whammy o Look at me, coming at’cha with a double whammy of my go-to Half-Spelt, Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough recipe 🍕 (the one I’ve been teasing for years), AND a new voiceover by little Ms Marmalade herself 👧🏼.
☀️ I mean, I’m not saying the sound on this video will brighten up your day by an infinite amount, but I’m not, not, saying that either ✨. 
—-
The full recipe with all the info is over on my site (⛓ in profile and all that jazz), along with a longer version of the video. Because a 5yo singing - SINGING - about rolling dough into balls is ah-mazing. 
—-
Ingredients, for those wondering:
* whole spelt flour
* white 00 pizza flour
* water
* sourdough starter discard
* active dry yeast
* kosher salt
* millet flour (for shaping)
⏲ All the times and weights are in that aforementioned post - plus opts to bake right away vs letting it all ferment for a day or two... There’s also a list of equipment I use, and my personal flour and pizza oven faves. Now go have a pizza party! 🍕🎉
Well hello there! ‘Tis the season and all means Well hello there! ‘Tis the season and all means it’s about time I (finally) shared this 🍗 🍇🍊 image from a test shoot collab well over a year ago 🙈. I actually made these Cornish Hens for Christmas last year too and they’ll be on the menu again this year. It’s a perfect holiday feast solution for a small group with only a few meat eaters, but also if you simply can’t be bothered to tackle a turkey!
——
• food prep & styling @84thand3rd 🙋🏼‍♀️
• photography @ivansocal 
• props & studio @plateandpatina 
——
If you want to see a moodier version of this image, pop over to Ivan’s feed as he just shared that one today too 🤣.
——
There seems to be a common thread this year of people asking in stories if it’s ok to start decorating for 🎄 already - my answer, every time, is ‘the world is on fire, time has no meaning, go for your life’. Am I wrong? (I’m not, haha) I may even put up a tree here more than 3 days before (I do keep it up until Easter though, so who knows 😜). Are you getting festive already or do you have hard and fast rules about these things?
Load More Follow on Instagram

Visit JJ’s Portfolio

Jennifer Jenner Portfolio

Be nice, don’t steal

All work on 84thand3rd.com is the property of the site owner unless otherwise credited. Recipes and articles are NOT available for syndication or re-publication. A single watermarked photo can be used in recipe wrap-up articles to link back to the original recipe post on this site. Photos are available to purchase for other uses.

© All Rights Reserved

Want to use something? Contact me and ask.

instagram heart facebook twitter YouTube pinterest tumblr star gplus

Copyright © 2023 · 84th & 3rd