Pie Crust Recipe

Learn how to make the best homemade all-butter flaky pie crust with just four simple ingredients! This recipe takes about 10 minutes and is perfect for a variety of pies like pumpkin, apple, sweet potato, blueberry, and more.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Unsalted butter (or salted, omit salt in recipe)
• Ice water

Tip: I like to add an egg wash and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top before baking for an extra touch.

How to Make Pie Crust Dough

1. Combine Ingredients:

• In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt.

1. Prepare the Butter:

• Use a box grater to shred the cold butter. This is the secret to achieving a flaky crust! Add the shredded butter to the flour mixture and mix with your hands until it resembles small pebbles.

1. Add Water:

• Gradually add ice water, mixing gently with your hands until a dough ball forms. Avoid overworking the dough to keep it flaky.

1. Chill the Dough:

• Divide the dough into two pieces, form into small disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. You can also freeze the dough if you plan to use it later.

How to Roll Out the Dough

1. Prepare Your Surface:

• Lightly flour your counter and rolling pin. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it.

1. Roll the Dough:

• Roll out the dough until it’s the desired size. If it sticks, add more flour to the surfaces.

1. Transfer to Pie Pan:

• Roll the dough around your rolling pin and gently unroll it into the prepared pie pan.

Tips & Alternative Methods

• Grating Butter: Grating the cold butter is the best method for making pie crust. Alternatively, you can use a pastry blender or a food processor:
• Pastry Blender: Cut cold butter into cubes and use the blender to mix it into the flour.
• Food Processor: Pulse the cold butter with the flour mixture, then mix in the ice water by hand.
• Ice Water: Fill a glass with ice and water to ensure the water is very cold when you add it to the dough.
• Substituting Butter: You can replace up to half of the butter with vegetable shortening, but I prefer using all butter for better flavor.
• Yield: This recipe makes two standard pie crusts (one for the top and one for the bottom). You can freeze one for later use.
• Storage: Refrigerate dough for 3-5 days or freeze for longer storage.

Enjoy your delicious homemade pie crust for all your favorite pies!