Which dough is typically used for pie crust?

• A. Soft dough
• B. Pie dough
• C. Lean dough
• D. Rich dough

Answer: (B)

Pie dough is used for pie crust because it’s a short pastry designed to be rolled out and baked into a tender, flaky crust. The fat is cut into the flour in small pieces, creating layers that steam apart during baking and limit gluten development. This yields a crust that is delicate and crisp rather than chewy or bread-like. Lean dough, with little fat, would develop more gluten and be tougher, while rich dough has extra fat and often eggs, making it drier to roll and not the typical crust texture. Soft dough isn’t the standard for pie crust either. So, pie dough is the go-to choice for pie crust.