Fat

Regular hydrogenated shortening is the most popular fat for pie crusts because it has the right plastic consistency to produce a flaky crust. It is firm and moldable enough to make an easily worked dough. Emulsified shortening should not be used because it blends too quickly with the flour, making a flaky pastry difficult to achieve.

Butter contributes excellent flavor to pie pastry, but it is not frequently used in volume production for two reasons: It is expensive, and it melts very easily, making the dough difficult to work.