How To Make A Homemade Pie Crust

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Today I'm going to teach you everything yous demand to know nearly making the perfect buttery flaky pie crust. This is the one and only pie chaff recipe I employ. It'due south been passed downward through generations. Stands the exam of time. Old-fashioned, yet never out of fashion. Wins my center every unmarried time.

salted caramel apple pie

There is nothing more satisfying than making a pie completely from scratch. From the golden chaff to the juicy filling and everything in betwixt. Pies are tasty for ane reason: they're fourth dimension consuming. This shouldn't scare you! It should intrigue yous. Considering if you can bake an exceptional homemade pie, congratulations. You lot're a talented baker.

Permit me help you get there.

As the base holding all of the pie's contents, pie crust's flavor is in every single bite. Kickoff with a solid crust and you're that much closer to pie-fection. !! Today we're going to explore my pie chaff recipe, grooming tips, how-to's, and troubleshooting.

Pie Crust Ingredients

This crust is made with a few unproblematic ingredients: flour, salt, cold water, and fat.

Starting time with quality flour. Did you know that not all all-purpose flours are created the same? Rex Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (doting fan girl. they do not know I exist.) is my go-to for not only pie chaff, but for pretty much ALL broiled goods. Now, I admit. Sometimes I buy cheaper flours that are on sale, but in general– KA flour is my meridian selection. Why? Its loftier protein level: "At 11.seven-percentage protein, information technology tops ordinary American all-purpose flours by near two percentage points." (from KA Flour site)

What does this hateful? Baked goods ascent higher and stay fresh longer.

A gluten free pie crust, you lot ask? I've never made one. Do you have a solid recipe for i?

bag of King Arthur all purpose flour with text overlay that says quality flour

Next up in my pie dough: salt. An obvious ingredient. Brings out the flavor. Pie crust shouldn't be sweet.

Now, the final ingredient(s). They're highly debatable. At that place are potent opinions out there for butter crust vs. shortening chaff vs. lard crust. (I rarely use lard because it's not as easy to come past for about people– though it makes a TASTY crust.) If you despise shortening, my pie crust recipe isn't for y'all. If yous want a crust recipe that stands the test of time, using good old shortening– read on.

stick of butter and shortening in a measuring cup

Why I Utilise Shortening and Butter

Not all fats are created equal.I utilise a mix of shortening and butter because they work together to make the Best crust. Butter adds flavor and flakiness, while shortening helps the dough stay pliable which is helpful when you're rolling and shaping it. Plus, its loftier melting point is advantageous considering it helps the crust stay tender while still maintaining shape.

A Tasty Experiment:I recently performed an experiment. The tastiest kind, of course. I prepared an all-butter version to compare to my beloved butter/shortening crust. One thing was clear: the all-butter crust created a lighter textured chaff with more than defined flakes. This is due to the butter's water content. Equally the chaff bakes, the butter's water converts to steam, creating low-cal flakes. Get it? Because of all this butter, I found that the all-butter crust didn't take a perfectly neat-edged crust. The all-butter crust tasted similar pure butter. The butter/shortening crust (1) was just equally flaky and tender in my opinion and (2) tasted buttery and like pie crust (think: diner mode ruddy pie). Both crusts were great. But the butter/shortening won in terms of texture, flavor, and appearance. This KA Flour web log post had like results (neat read!).

Utilize Cold Fat in Pie Crust

Why the accent on temperature? Keeping your pie dough as cold equally possible helps prevent the fat from melting. If the butter melts inside the dough earlier baking, you lose the flakiness. When the lumps of fat melt in the oven as the pie bakes, their steam helps to split up the crust into multiple flaky layers– as explained higher up. Warm fats volition lend a hard, crunchy, greasy chaff instead of a overnice tender flaky chaff.

I go along some of my butter in the freezer and transfer it to the refrigerator a few hours before beginning the chaff. This mode it is part frozen and very, very cold. For shortening? Merely keep it in the refrigerator.

cubed butter

Pie Crust Tutorial

(Print-friendly recipe below!) Kickoff with flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold fats. Apply a pastry cutter (or two forks) to cut in the fats. Cut in the fats until the mixture resembles coarse meal. You should have some larger pieces of butter and shortening when you're done.

2 images of pie dough in a bowl with a pastry cutter and coarse crumbs of fats and dry ingredients mixed together in a bowl

Next: ice water. Measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water in a cup. Add together ice. Stir it effectually. From that, measure 1/2 cup of water (since the ice has melted a scrap). Drizzle the cold water in, i Tablespoon (15ml) at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon afterwards every Tablespoon (15ml) added. Do not add together any more water than you need to. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always employ 1/ii cup (120ml) of water.

If too much water is added, the pie dough will require more flour and become tough. If too little water is added, yous'll notice the dough is dry out and crumbly when y'all try to roll it out and handle information technology.

shaggy pie dough mixture in a pink bowl with a spatula

Vodka in Pie Crust?Speaking of liquids. Have y'all heard of adding cold vodka to pie dough? It comes equally no surprise to me that the geniuses at Melt's Illustrated rave nearly information technology. They say that half of the pie dough'due south moisture should come from vodka, which is 40% pure alcohol. This alcohol doesn't promote gluten formation, helping the crust stay flaky and tender. Basically, it is a BLESSING to those of us who accidentally overwork pie dough. If you desire to try using vodka– use 1/4 cup cold vodka and 1/4 cup ice common cold h2o in the below recipe.

pie dough in a ball

After the ice water is added, let'southward chill information technology. Hither are the steps:

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface.
Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats.
Form it into a ball. The dough should come together easily and should not experience overly gluey.
Cut the dough in half.
Flatten each half into 1-inch thick discs using your hands. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to five days. Or freeze it.

3 images of discs of pie dough

Visible Specks and Swirls of Fat in Pie Dough

These specks and swirls of butter and shortening will aid ensure a flaky pie dough. They are a GOOD thing!

2 discs of pie dough wrapped in plastic wrap

How to Curl Out Pie Chaff

Subsequently the dough has chilled, start preparing your pie. Scroll out the crust. Always use gentle force. You are non mad at the chaff. When rolling dough out, ever showtime from the center and piece of work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your easily as you go.

disc of pie dough with a wood rolling pin

Plough, roll, plough, roll.

hand holding pie dough

Ringlet the dough to fit a 9-inch pie dish. I typically roll the dough into a 12-inch circle and so that at that place is enough crust to go up the edges of the dish and so I tin trim and flute.

Do Non be overwhelmed. I made sure to break everything down as detailed as possible. Be sure to read through additional tips and troubleshooting beneath. Permit me know about your pie adventures!

Clarification

This recipe is enough for a double crust pie. If you simply need ane crust for your pie, cut this recipe in half OR freeze the other half per the make ahead tip didactics below.

2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
i teaspoon table salt
6 Tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
ii/3 loving cup (130g) vegetable shortening, chilled
1/2 loving cup (120ml) water ice h2o

Mix the flour and common salt together in a large bowl. Add together the butter and shortening.
Using a pastry cutter (the i I ain) or two forks, cutting the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles fibroid meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger $.25 of fat is OK). A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick.
Measure 1/two cup (120ml) of water in a loving cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure 1/2 cup (120ml) h2o since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, one Tablespoon (15ml) at a fourth dimension, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon afterward every Tablespoon (15ml) added. End adding h2o when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use near 1/2 cup (120ml) of water and a footling more than in dry winter months (up to three/4 loving cup). Practice not add any more water than you need.
Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Course it into a ball. Cutting dough in half. Flatten each half into i-inch thick discs using your hands.
Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at to the lowest degree ii hours and upwardly to five days.
When rolling out the chilled pie dough discs to utilize in your pie, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the centre of the disc and piece of work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your easily equally y'all get. Visible specks of butter and fatty in the dough are perfectly normal and expected!
Proceed with the pie per your recipe's instructions.

Notes

Make Alee & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the pie dough through stride 4 and freeze the discs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in your pie recipe.
Shortening: (update in 2021) I use between 2/3 and three/iv cup of cold shortening in this dough. Lately, I observe ii/iii cup (which is 10 Tbsp + 2 teaspoons or about 130g) works all-time.
Table salt: Employ regular tabular array common salt. If using kosher salt, use ane and 1/4 teaspoons.

Keywords: butter pie crust, homemade pie crust

pie dough rolled into a circle with a wood rolling pin

Pie Crust Tips

I prefer using a glass pie dish when I brand pie. Why? Glass dishes conduct heat evenly, which allows the bottom of the chaff to bake thoroughly. Also, you'll exist able to see when the sides and lesser of the crust has browned.
The refrigerator is pie dough's all-time friend. Continue everything common cold. On a hot twenty-four hour period, you can fifty-fifty measure and chill your flour in the refrigerator before beginning. When taking the pie crust out of the refrigerator to scroll out and fill up, make sure your pie filling is ready to get. If non, keep the pie crust in the fridge until it is.
Preheat the oven and then that the common cold dough volition go into a hot oven.
If your pie recipe requires pre-blistering– let'southward say y'all're making a pie with an especially moisture filling– follow my how to blind bake pie crust guide and use pie weights. Without pie weights, the dough volition puff up, and then compress. Pie weights are made from metal or ceramic beads and piece of work to weigh down the crust to prevent the puffing/shrinking. Dried beans can also be used! Whichever you choose, be sure to line the crust with parchment, then fill the empty pie crust with the weights all the fashion to the height of the pie dish rim prior to baking. More than on pie weights.
Use apie chaff shield to keep the crust border covered, which protects it from browning too chop-chop or worse– burning. Use an adjustable silicone pie crust shield that y'all can fit to the size of your delicate pie chaff. Metal tin suspension the crust. Alternatively, you lot tin can cover the pie with a slice of aluminum foil. Cut a large circumvolve in the center of the square so the center of the pie is exposed.
If your pie recipe requires a pre-baked pie shell, such as banana cream pie, french silk pie, or a tart, hither is what to practise: prepare the pie crust through step half dozen. Roll out the chilled pie dough into a 12-inch circle, carefully identify the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth, then trim and flute the edges. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, then line the chaff with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake at 375°F (190°C) until it begins to colour around the edges. (15-xx minutes)

Troubleshooting Pie Crust

To prevent a crumbly great pie dough, make certain you lot use enough water when preparing your pie dough. Too lilliputian h2o will make your dough unworkable. Read more than about water to a higher place.
Foreclose a tough baked pie crust. Tough crusts are the result of non enough fat in the chaff, equally well as overworking the dough. Use the recipe to a higher place (plenty of fat) and don't work the dough too much.
Prevent a burnt crust with a pie shield. See to a higher place.

Pie Recipes! Recipes to endeavour using this chaff: carmine pie, chicken pot pie, peach pie, pumpkin pie, quiche, baked apples, apple crumble pie, homemade pop-tarts, and salted caramel apple pie.
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