Learn how to make the perfect buttery and flaky pie crust from scratch using our trusted recipe. We’ll walk you through each single step to achieve a perfect pie dough that is a great foundation for all your pies, quiches, and tarts.
Jump to RecipeAh pie! Is there anything more satisfying than a slice of warm apple pie with ice cream? Or a tart-sweet lemon pie with ethereal meringue on top? Or a hearty slice of pumpkin pie after that Thanksgiving turkey dinner? And that’s just the dessert pie – what about quiche or pot pie?!!
Pie is for all seasons and all tastes, and is as American as . . . well, Apple Pie! Ask my sister, and she’ll say that the most important ingredient in a great slice of pie is THE CRUST. I have to agree. I’d rather have canned pie filling in a good homemade crust than homemade pie in a store-bought crust.
I’ve made many different pie crust recipes over the years, but this one I’ve used so many times I could make it in my sleep. It is a variation of Martha Stewart’s Pate Brisee, which uses all butter.
I like the combination of butter and shortening to get good flavor and flaky crust. The food processor helps simplify the process, and it cuts the fat into the flour very consistently. If you don’t have a food processor, you can easily cut the fats into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives.
When it’s time to roll out your pie crust, use a light hand. You want to see visible pieces of butter and shortening even after rolling it out to achieve the flaky layers and tender crust.
Recipe Ingredients
Flour. The best flour for the perfect pie crust is all-purpose flour but you can use other types of flour like gluten-free 1:1 pastry flour.
Butter and shortening. Our go-to combination for achieving that perfectly crispy, flaky crust without compromising on flavor. Make sure your butter and shortening are cold.
Sugar. Sugar interferes with gluten development and leads to a more tender crust.
Salt. A small amount of salt enhances the flavor of your homemade pie crust, so don’t skip it.
Ice water. Helps bring the dough together. Measure out some water, add some ice cubes to it, and stir it around so it’s nice and cold.
How to Make the Perfect Pie Crust
- Add flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to mix.
- Cut cold butter into cubes and add to flour mixture in food processor. Pulse 10 times. Add cubes of shortening to the bowl and pulse another 8 times.
- Sprinkle a few tablespoons of ice water over the flour/shortening mixture and pulse a couple of times. Continue adding water a few tablespoons at a time, pulsing after each addition, until mixture just begins to form a dough. It should hold together well when pinched between your thumb and finger, but should not feel wet. You will see pea-sized chunks of butter and shortening throughout your dough.
- Turn out onto a lightly-floured surface. Divide into two portions and gently pat each into a 6-inch round. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour before rolling out for a pie.
- This recipe makes two 9-inch pie shells, so you can easily half it if you just want to make one pie without a top crust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shape the dough into a ball or disk and place it in a freezer bag or wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap. Label the bag and date it so you will know exactly when it should be used. Store your dough in the back of your freezer for up to three months. You can thaw your frozen pie dough in the fridge overnight once ready to use.
Yes, you can replace the shortening with the same amount of butter. However, this will slightly change the taste and texture of your pie crust and will not be quite as tender and flaky. Lard is another good fat you can use in place of the shortening!
Try to work in a cold environment to keep the dough cold, so it isn’t too sticky. You can always pop the dough back into the refrigerator at any time during the process to chill it down, then just continue rolling.
Use the scraps that are left after shaping your pie crust to make some quick and easy cookies. Sprinkle scraps with cinnamon-sugar or spread with a thin layer of jam and bake in a 425F oven for 5-10 minutes until just baked on the outside. When we were kids, we loved pie crust cookies even more than the pie itself!
More Recipes To Try
Perfect Pie Crust
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hoursLearn how to make the perfect buttery and flaky pie crust from scratch using our trusted recipe. We'll walk you through each single step to achieve a perfect pie dough that is a great foundation for all your pies, quiches, and tarts.
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Ingredients
2 1/2 cups 2 1/2 flour
1/2 cup 1/2 butter cold
1/2 cup 1/2 shortening
1 tsp 1 sugar
1 tsp 1 salt
ice water
Directions
- Add flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and swirl to mix.
- Cut cold butter into cubes and add to flour mixture in food processor. Pulse 10 times. Add cubes of shortening to the bowl and pulse another 8 times.
- Sprinkle a few tablespoons of ice water over the flour/shortening mixture and pulse a couple of times. Continue adding water a few tablespoons at a time, pulsing after each addition, until mixture just begins to form a dough. It should hold together well when pinched between your thumb and finger, but should not feel wet. You will see pea-sized chunks of butter and shortening throughout your dough.
- Turn out onto a lightly-floured surface. Divide into two portions and gently pat each into a 6-inch round. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour before rolling out for a pie.
- Makes two 9-inch pie shells.
Notes
- Storage:
- Pie dough can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days, or you can store it in the freezer. Make sure it’s tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and sealed in a freezer bag. That way it should keep in the back of your freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 369kcal
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