Description
This flaky, buttery homemade pie crust recipe is perfect for both sweet and savory pies. Made with simple ingredients like cold butter and all-purpose flour, it delivers a tender, crumbly texture that bakes to golden perfection. The crust is easy to prepare and can be rolled out for any pie filling, making it a versatile staple in your baking repertoire.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar (optional, for sweet pies)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 6-8 tbsp ice water
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and granulated sugar (if using) until evenly mixed to create the dry base of the crust.
- Cut in Butter: Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. This helps create the flaky texture.
- Add Ice Water: Drizzle 6 tablespoons of ice water evenly over the flour and butter mixture. Gently mix with a fork or your hands, adding additional water tablespoon by tablespoon as needed until the dough just comes together but is not sticky.
- Form Dough and Chill: Gather the dough into a ball, divide it in half, and shape each into a flat disc. Wrap each disc tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the gluten to relax and keep the butter cold.
- Roll Out Dough: After chilling, remove one disc from the refrigerator. Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick, rotating the dough occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Transfer and Fill: Carefully transfer the rolled dough to a pie dish by rolling it onto the rolling pin and unrolling it over the dish. Trim any excess dough around the edges as desired and proceed with your chosen pie filling and baking instructions.
Notes
- Use very cold butter and ice water to ensure a flaky crust by preventing the butter from melting before baking.
- Handle the dough gently and avoid overworking it to keep the texture tender and flaky.
- The optional sugar adds a slight sweetness, ideal for dessert pies, but can be omitted for savory pies.
- Chilling the dough is crucial; it helps maintain the structure and prevents shrinking during baking.
- You can freeze the dough discs wrapped in plastic for up to 2 months for future use.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
