Description
A classic flaky pie crust recipe that yields tender and buttery pastry perfect for sweet or savory pies. This versatile dough is easy to prepare, chilling to perfection to create a crisp, flaky base that holds fillings beautifully.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional, for sweet pies)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 6–8 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and granulated sugar (if using) in a large mixing bowl to combine evenly.
- Cut in Butter: Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Add Ice Water: Gradually drizzle ice water, a tablespoon at a time, into the mixture while tossing with a fork. Continue until the dough just starts to come together and hold its shape without being wet or sticky.
- Form Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently gather it, and divide it into two equal disks. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to hydrate the flour and chill the butter, which helps create a flaky texture.
- Roll Out: After chilling, roll one disk on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle to fit a standard 9-inch pie pan. Trim the edges, leaving a slight overhang to seal with the top crust if making a double-crust pie.
- Assemble Pie: Use the rolled dough as the base for your pie, either for single crust pies, double crust pies, or for blind baking as the recipe requires.
- Bake: Follow the specific baking instructions provided by your pie recipe, whether blind baking or baking with filling, to achieve a golden, flaky crust.
Notes
- Keep butter and water very cold to achieve a flaky texture.
- Do not overwork the dough to avoid a tough crust.
- Chilling the dough for at least 1 hour is crucial for easy rolling and better texture.
- For sweeter pies, adding sugar to the crust enhances flavor but can be omitted for savory pies.
- The dough can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 1 month before use.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
