Our favourite butter pie crust recipe that makes constant flaky pie dough each time. Our recipe beneath features a simple video displaying how we make it. Within the video, we present how one can make the crust by hand and with a meals processor. Bounce to the complete Pie Crust Recipe

How you can Make Our Favourite All-Butter Pie Crust
We’ve been making pie crust the identical means in our kitchen for years. We reduce butter (or different stable fats) into flour till the butter and flour look crumbly and have items of butter the dimensions of peas. Then, we add simply sufficient water to kind the dough right into a ball. That was till we discovered a greater means. A do-it-yourself pie crust recipe, relatively a pie crust methodology, that’s constant and makes dough that’s a dream to roll out.

It’s not that our earlier methodology failed us. We simply got here throughout one other means of how one can make it. Some time again Cooks Illustrated reworked pie dough.
You could have heard of it — they added vodka to their recipe. (We don’t add vodka — I’ll get to that in a minute).
Cooks Illustrated appeared on the science behind pie crust — and it made sense. Our highschool science academics can be proud.
Right here’s all you actually need to know: Gluten is an enemy to pie crust. Some gluten is okay and really wanted for construction, however an excessive amount of can actually mess issues up.
So, keep in mind this: much less gluten formation = flakier and extra tender pie crusts.
Again to the vodka. That’s what received all of the hype — why wouldn’t it, proper? Of their recipe, the vodka changed a few of the water.
The idea is that vodka doesn’t promote gluten formation, whereas water does. So, by changing a part of the water with vodka, it helps the pie crust turn into flakier and extra tender.
We love the concept and plenty of swear it really works, however including a 1/4 cup of vodka to our do-it-yourself pie dough recipe simply didn’t sit nicely with us. It’s not one thing we retailer in our house typically and it’s costly.

Making Flaky Pie Crust — It’s Concerning the Technique
What’s extra essential than vodka is the best way you mix flour and fats (in our case, butter).
Do not forget that gluten is our enemy on the subject of pie dough? Nicely, Cook dinner’s Illustrated discovered that when you completely combine a part of the flour with the fats (butter) and make a flour-butter paste first, each particle of that flour turns into coated in fats.
Consider every particle of flour with butter raincoats. These raincoats make it very tough for the flour to soak up water. In different phrases, it helps to forestall the event of an excessive amount of gluten.
Then, you possibly can add the remaining flour so the right quantity of gluten develops. This implies excellent pie crust, each time.
What We’re Trying For
Nice pie crust shouldn’t turn into all soggy from juicy fillings, however is gentle sufficient to flake. It isn’t crumbly, as a substitute it’s fabricated from lengthy, skinny layers of dough (see picture). It ought to stand as much as fillings, however shouldn’t be chewy, exhausting or heavy.

So, After All That Discuss, Did it Work?
Sure. It actually did. Our pie crust was tender with lengthy skinny layers of dough, making it completely flaky.
We love this methodology for 2 causes:
- It’s constant. By including a part of the flour to the butter first, combing them right into a paste then including the remaining flour, the recipe determines how a lot flour is getting used for the formation of gluten. The dough is similar, each time.
- That butter and flour paste actually helps on the subject of working with the dough. Because it’s extra pliable, the dough is definitely rolled out.
Making the Dough – By Meals Processor or by Hand
The oldsters at Cooks Illustrated insist on utilizing a meals processor for this methodology. We kind of agree — It makes making the flour and butter paste simple.
Use the meals processor to make the paste then add the remaining flour. Pulse a number of occasions then switch every part to a bowl and add water till the dough comes collectively. (You don’t need to add water to the meals processor — that may overwork the dough and result in additional gluten formation).
Utilizing the meals processor eliminates variability. In case you have one, use it.
With all that stated, we hate cleansing dishes and since a meals processor means 5 components to scrub (sure we counted) we tried this methodology by hand.
It labored.
We used a pastry cutter to chop the butter into a part of the flour and made it as near a paste as potential. The flour was moistened by the butter and the combination appeared like contemporary breadcrumbs — it was not powdery from flour. Then, we reduce within the remaining flour and added water till the dough got here collectively.
The dough made by hand was simply as simple to roll out and turned out simply as flaky. In actual fact, the picture above is definitely from dough made by hand, not the meals processor.
So, when you don’t have a meals processor or are like us and hate the additional dishes, give making it by hand a go.
Make Forward Suggestions
Wrap pie dough nicely in order that it’s hermetic. (I take advantage of plastic wrap.) Nicely-wrapped pie dough lasts within the fridge for as much as 3 days and within the freezer for 3 months.
When you’re prepared to make use of frozen pie dough, switch it to the fridge and let it thaw in a single day. Dough straight from the fridge can generally be tough to roll out. If yours is, go away it on the counter for a couple of minutes to heat up barely, after which strive rolling it out once more.
Extra Straightforward Pie Recipes
- How you can make Blueberry Pie with contemporary (or frozen) blueberries, heat spices, lemon, and a simple lattice crust.
- Our Favourite Apple Pie — completely cooked (not mushy) apples surrounded by a thickened and gently spiced sauce all baked inside a flaky, golden brown crust
- Straightforward Cherry Pie — we will’t resolve which we desire, blueberry or cherry pie.
- Strawberry Pie — it’s somewhat faster to make and really tasty.
- If time isn’t in your facet, you could need to strive our Handheld Berry Pies!
Recipe up to date, initially posted Could 2013. Since posting this in 2013, we now have tweaked the recipe to be extra clear and added a fast recipe video. – Adam and Joanne
Straightforward All-Butter Flaky Pie Crust
- PREP
This pie crust recipe makes constant dough and makes dough that’s a dream to roll out. Utilizing a meals processor on this recipe eliminates variability. In case you have one, use it. With that stated, you are able to do this methodology by hand. Instructions are offered beneath for utilizing a processor and by hand.
Sufficient for one 9-inch double crust pie
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Want
2 ½ cups (325 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt or use 1/2 teaspoon nice sea salt
1 tablespoon sugar, non-obligatory
1 cup (230 grams) very chilly unsalted butter, reduce into 1/2-inch cubes (2 sticks)
4 to eight tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Technique When Utilizing Meals Processor
- Technique When Making By Hand
- Rolling Out Dough
- How you can Pre-Bake a Crust for a Single-Crust Pie (quiches, custard, and cream pies)
- How you can Make a Double Crust Pie
Add 1 ½ cups flour, salt, and sugar (non-obligatory) to a meals processor. Pulse 2 to three occasions till mixed. The remaining cup of flour can be added later.
Scatter butter cubes over flour and course of till a dough or paste begins to kind, about 15 seconds. (There needs to be no uncoated flour).
Scrape bowl, redistribute the flour-butter combination then add remaining 1 cup of flour. Pulse 4 to five occasions till flour is evenly distributed. (Dough ought to look damaged up and somewhat crumbly).
Switch to a medium bowl then sprinkle ice water over combination — begin with 4 tablespoons and add from there. Utilizing a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs ought to start to kind bigger clusters. Should you pinch a few of the dough and it holds collectively, it’s prepared. If the dough falls aside, add 2 to 4 extra tablespoons of water and proceed to press till dough comes collectively.
Take away dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clear floor. Work the dough simply sufficient to kind a ball. Reduce the ball in half then kind every half into discs. Wrap every disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at the very least 1 hour and as much as 2 days. You can even freeze it for as much as 3 months (simply thaw it in a single day within the fridge earlier than utilizing it).
Add 1 1/2 cups flour, salt and sugar (non-obligatory) to a medium bowl. Stir 2 to three occasions till mixed.
Scatter butter cubes over flour and blend briefly with a fork or spatula to coat the butter with flour.
Reduce the butter into the flour with a pastry blender, working combination till the flour has a rough, mealy texture much like contemporary bread crumbs. About 1 – 2 minutes.
Add remaining 1 cup of flour. Work butter and flour with the pastry blender till flour is evenly distributed. About 20 seconds. (Dough ought to look crumbly with pea-sized items).
Sprinkle ice water over the combination — begin with 4 tablespoons and add from there. Utilizing a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs ought to start to kind bigger clusters. Should you pinch a few of the dough and it holds collectively, it’s prepared. If the dough falls aside, add 2 to 4 extra tablespoons of water and proceed to press till dough comes collectively.
Take away dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clear floor. Work the dough simply sufficient to kind a ball. Reduce ball in half then kind every half into discs. Wrap every disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate at the very least 1 hour, and as much as 2 days. You can even freeze it for as much as 3 months (simply thaw it in a single day within the fridge earlier than utilizing).
Take away one of many dough discs from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for five minutes.
Frivolously flour work floor, prime of dough and rolling pin. Then use rolling pin to roll out dough to a 12-inch circle (about 1/8-inch thick). You’ll want to examine if the dough is sticking to the floor beneath — add a small quantity of flour when obligatory.
Examine for measurement by inverting pie dish over dough spherical. Search for a 1-inch edge across the pie dish. To switch dough to dish, beginning at one finish, roll dough round rolling pin then unroll over dish.
Gently press dough down into dish in order that it strains the underside and sides of the dish. (Watch out to not pull or stretch the dough). Then, use a knife or pair of kitchen scissors to trim dough to inside 1/2-inch of the sting of the dish.
Fold fringe of dough beneath itself in order that it creates a thicker, 1/4-inch border that rests on the lip of the dish. Then, crimp edges by urgent the pointer finger of 1 hand in opposition to the sting of the dough from the within of the dish whereas gently urgent with two knuckles of the opposite hand from the skin. Refrigerate dough at the very least 20 minutes or freeze for five minutes earlier than baking.
If making a double crust pie, don’t crimp edges but. Roll out second dough disc, fill pie then prime with second dough spherical. Trim the perimeters then crimp.
Warmth the oven to 425 levels F. Place a baking sheet on a center oven rack.
Roll out sufficient dough to make one 9-inch crust (1 dough disk). Place right into a pie plate after which pierce the underside of the crust with a fork (this forestall air pockets or bubbles from forming whereas baking). Line the crust with two sheets of aluminum foil or parchment paper. (You’ll want to push foil in opposition to the perimeters of the crust). Then, fill foil with dried rice, dried beans or pie weights. Refrigerate half-hour or freeze for 10 minutes, or till agency to the contact.
Place pie crust onto preheated baking sheet and cut back oven temperature to 400 levels F. Bake 20 to half-hour or till the crust is golden.
Make an egg wash by whisking one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of cream in a small bowl. Then, take away rice, beans or pie weights and foil from pie crust. Brush the underside and sides of the crust with egg wash. Bake till egg wash is dry and glossy, 3 to five minutes. Cool crust utterly earlier than filling.
Oven temperature and bake time for double crust pies will fluctuate relying on the pie recipe you propose to comply with. For example, we set our oven to 400 levels Fahrenheit for our double crust cherry pie (see the recipe right here).
Take away half of dough from fridge and let sit at room temperature for five minutes. On a frivolously floured floor, roll out dough to a 13-inch (1/8-inch thick) circle.
Examine for measurement by inverting pie dish over dough spherical. Search for a 1-inch edge across the pie dish. Rigorously press the dough into the dish. Spoon the pie filling into pie crust.
Roll out second half of dough then prime pie. Use a knife or pair of kitchen scissors to trim dough to inside 3/4-inch of the sting of the dish.
Fold edges of prime crust beneath edges of backside crust, urgent the sting to seal it in order that it creates a thicker, 1/4-inch border that rests on the lip of the dish. Then, crimp edges by urgent the pointer finger of 1 hand in opposition to the sting of the dough from the within of the dish whereas gently urgent with two knuckles of the opposite hand from the skin. Refrigerate pie at the very least 20 minutes or freeze for five minutes earlier than baking.
Simply earlier than baking, make egg wash by whisking egg yolk and cream collectively in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush excessive crust. Then, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Then, reduce 3 to 4 slits in prime of pie. Bake as directed by the particular recipe you might be following.
Adam and Joanne’s Suggestions
- How you can make pie crust upfront: Wrap pie dough nicely in order that it’s hermetic. (I take advantage of plastic wrap.) Nicely-wrapped pie dough lasts within the fridge for as much as 3 days and within the freezer for 3 months. When you’re prepared to make use of frozen pie dough, switch it to the fridge and let it thaw in a single day. Dough straight from the fridge can generally be tough to roll out. If yours is, go away it on the counter for a couple of minutes to heat up barely, after which strive rolling it out once more.
- Diet info: The diet info offered beneath are estimates. We’ve used the USDAdatabase to calculate approximate values.
Should you make this recipe, snap a photograph and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We like to see your creations on Instagram and Fb! Discover us: @inspiredtaste
Diet Per Serving: Serving Measurement 1/8 of dough / Energy 345 / Protein 4 g / Carbohydrate 30 g / Dietary Fiber 1 g / Complete Sugars 0 g / Complete Fats 23 g / Saturated Fats 15 g / Ldl cholesterol 61 mg
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