: Because wheat flour was a common and easily found commodity, creating a crust became one of the nation's earliest culinary traditions. Varieties of American Wheat Crusts

: In colonial America, these crusts were often not eaten. They served as durable containers for fillings, keeping food fresh in an era before refrigeration.

Pie-making traditions arrived in the New World with English settlers, who used wheat flour to create "coffins"—thick, sturdy crusts intended to preserve meat juices and withstand long journeys.

: During the American Revolution, the term "coffin" was replaced by "crust," signaling a shift in perception toward the pastry as a part of the meal itself.