Description
This homemade pie crust recipe offers a flaky, buttery base perfect for both sweet and savory pies. Made from simple pantry staples, including all-purpose flour, cold butter, and ice water, this crust is easy to prepare using a food processor or by hand. Chill time ensures a firm dough that rolls out smoothly, while versatile instructions cover both unbaked and blind-baked crust preparations. Ideal for classic pies like apple, pumpkin, or chicken pot pie, it guarantees a tender, golden crust every time.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold and diced into 1/4 inch pieces
- 7 tablespoons ice water (plus 1 tablespoon more if needed)
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a food processor or large mixing bowl, blend the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and sea salt thoroughly by pulsing or whisking to ensure even distribution.
- Add Cold Butter: Incorporate the diced cold unsalted butter into the dry mixture. Pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with occasional pea-sized pieces. If using a pastry cutter by hand, gently work the butter in for similar texture.
- Add Ice Water: Gradually drizzle the ice water over the mixture while pulsing or stirring, just until the dough begins to clump together. Add additional water by the teaspoon if the dough feels too dry and crumbly.
- Form Dough Balls: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gather it into a ball, divide into two equal portions, and shape each into a disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour to firm up.
- Roll Out Dough: After chilling, dust your work surface with flour and roll out one disk into a 12-inch circle. Gently transfer it to your pie dish, pressing to fit, then trim or fold the edges as preferred.
- Use Unbaked for Filled Pies: For pies that require an unbaked crust such as pumpkin, apple, or chicken pot pies, add the filling directly to the raw crust and bake according to your pie recipe’s instructions.
- Blind Bake if Needed: To avoid shrinkage for pre-baked crust recipes, line the unbaked crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice (about 1 to 2 cups). Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights, prick the crust bottom with a fork, then bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool completely before adding fillings.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is very cold to achieve a flaky crust texture.
- Adjust water quantity slightly depending on humidity and flour type; dough should come together but not be sticky.
- Chilling the dough is essential to relax gluten and firm fat for easier rolling.
- Pie weights or dried beans help prevent the crust from bubbling or shrinking during blind baking.
- Use flour for dusting to prevent sticking but avoid adding too much to keep the dough tender.
- Wrap and refrigerate or freeze unused dough disks for future use.
