Butter vs shortening in pie crust, no contest after 12 test bakes

I baked the same apple pie recipe 12 times over 3 weekends using butter, shortening, and half and half blends, and butter won every single time on flake and taste, so why do so many bakeries still push shortening, does anyone else think they are just cutting costs?

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parkerbrown5d ago

I get what you're saying about the flake and taste, and I'm sure your test bakes were solid. But I gotta disagree with the idea that bakeries are just being cheap. Shortening has a much higher melting point, which makes it way more forgiving in a hot kitchen or if you're making a thousand pies at once. Butter tastes better, no question, but it can turn into a greasy mess when you're working fast or the dough sits out. Plus shortening gives you that super tall, sturdy crust that holds up for displays and transport. It's not always a money thing, sometimes it's just about what survives the real world of a busy bakery.