Description
This flaky pie crust recipe yields a tender, buttery base perfect for sweet or savory pies. Made with cold butter and minimal water, it creates delicate layers for a crisp, golden finish. Ideal for double or single-crust pies and versatile for blind baking or filling directly.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional, for sweet pies)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 6–8 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and optional granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Cut in Butter: Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the flour until coarse crumbs form with some pea-sized chunks of butter remaining, which helps create the flaky texture.
- Add Ice Water: Gradually drizzle in ice water, tossing the mixture gently with a fork. Add just enough water for the dough to start holding together without becoming wet or sticky.
- Form Dough Disks: Divide the dough evenly into two disks. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to rest the dough and solidify the butter, improving texture.
- Roll Out Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll one chilled disk into a 12-inch circle. Fit it into a 9-inch pie pan, trimming any excess dough but leaving a slight overhang for crimping the edges.
- Prepare for Baking or Filling: Use your prepared crust as desired—either blind bake for pre-baked crust or fill with your favorite pie filling.
- Follow Pie Recipe Instructions: Proceed with baking according to your specific pie recipe’s directions to complete your pie.
Notes
- Keep butter and water as cold as possible to ensure a flaky crust.
- Do not overwork the dough to avoid a tough crust.
- Refrigerating the dough for at least an hour helps prevent shrinkage when baking.
- Optional sugar is best used for sweet pies; omit for savory pies.
- For best results, use a pastry cutter or fingers quickly to maintain butter pieces.
- You can freeze the dough disks for up to one month wrapped tightly.
