This pie crust recipe makes 2 all butter crusts from 2½ cups flour, 1 cup very cold butter, salt, ice water and an optional spoon of sugar. That is enough for one double crust pie or two single pie shells. Hands-on time is about 15 minutes, then the dough chills for 1 hour, and the shaped crust chills 30 minutes more before baking.
Everything is done by hand in one bowl, no food processor needed. I’ve tested, adjusted and scribbled notes on this dough, and it is the one I use for fruit pies, custard pies and quiche. The whole trick is cold butter left in pieces about the size of peas.
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- All-purpose flour: 2½ cups (312 g)
- Unsalted butter: 1 cup (226 g), very cold and cubed
- Salt: 1 teaspoon (about 6 g)
- Granulated sugar: 1 tablespoon (about 12 g), only for sweet pies
- Ice water: 6 to 8 tablespoons (about 90 to 120 g)
- Makes: 2 crusts, each rolled to a 12 inch circle for a 9 inch pie dish
By weight, that sits close to the old 3-2-1 pie dough ratio: 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, 1 part water. This version runs a little richer in butter, which is where the flavor comes from. Weighing the flour is worth it here. A heavy cup of flour makes a dry dough that cracks.
The sugar is optional. A tablespoon helps the crust brown and takes the edge off a tart filling; for quiche or a savory pie, leave it out.
Cutting Cold Butter Into Flour by Hand
Whisk the flour, salt and sugar together, then add the butter cubes straight from the fridge. Work them in with a pastry cutter, a fork or your fingertips. I prefer my hands because I can feel exactly how big the pieces are, but I work fast so they do not warm the butter.
Stop when the mix looks like coarse crumbs with plenty of pea-sized butter pieces left. Those pieces flatten into thin sheets when you roll the dough. In the oven the water in them turns to steam and pushes the layers apart, and that is your flaky crust. If the bowl looks smooth and sandy all through, the butter is already too broken down.
Adding Ice Water Until It Holds a Pinch
Drizzle in the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each one. After about 4 tablespoons, squeeze a little dough between your fingers. If it crumbles, add more. If it holds together without feeling tacky, stop. That usually happens around 6 tablespoons, and you may not need all 8.
Too wet and the dough turns tough and shrinks in the oven. Too dry and it cracks when you roll it. Humid days need less water, dry winter kitchens need more, which is why the card gives a range instead of one number.
Resting, Rolling and Fitting the Pie Plate
Gather the dough, divide it into two equal portions and press each into a flat disc. Wrap them tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days. The rest firms the butter again and lets the flour absorb the water evenly, so the dough rolls without tearing.
On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc into a 12 inch circle about ⅛ inch thick. Roll from the center outward and give the dough a quarter turn every few strokes so it does not stick. The goal is to roll out, not press down.
Lift the dough over your pie dish and let it settle into the corners. Never stretch it to fit, because stretched dough pulls back as it bakes and the sides shrink. For a juicy cherry pie or a double crust apple pie, roll the second disc the same way for the lid.
Crimped or Forked Edges
Trim the dough with kitchen scissors, leaving about ½ inch hanging over the rim. Fold that overhang under itself so the edge is double thick. A thicker rim holds its shape and does not burn before the filling is done.
For a fluted edge, pinch the dough between your index finger and thumb all the way around. For a simpler finish, press it against the rim with the back of a fork; I do that for a rustic sweet potato pie.
Then chill the shaped crust for 30 minutes before it goes in the oven. Warm butter melts out before the flour sets, and that is when crimped edges slump and sides slide down the dish.
Unbaked, Par-Baked or Fully Baked Shell?
The pie you are making decides how much baking the crust needs on its own.
- Unbaked: the filling and crust bake together. Use this for apple, cherry, pumpkin pie and pecan pie.
- Par-baked: prick the base with a fork, line it with parchment, fill it with pie weights or dried beans and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. This is the blind bake on the card, for wet fillings that bake for a shorter time.
- Fully baked: after the par-bake, lift out the weights and parchment and return the shell to the oven until the base looks dry and golden all over, usually 10 to 15 minutes more. Cream pies and fresh fruit pies with no further baking need this, like my coconut cream pie and fresh strawberry pie.
Let a fully baked shell cool completely before you add a cold filling, or the base steams and softens.
Butter or Shortening in Pie Dough
I’ve made this dough with both. Shortening stays solid at a warmer temperature, so it is softer to handle in a hot kitchen and gives a tender, crumbly crust. Butter tastes far better, browns deeper and gives the tall, flaky layers, because it contains water that turns to steam.
I stay with all butter and just keep it cold. Soft margarine and spreads are not a good swap here. They are softer and contain more water and less fat, so the dough turns greasy and the layers do not form.
Cracking, Shrinking and Sticky Dough Fixes
- Dough will not hold together: it needs a little more water. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon at a time and press, do not knead.
- Edges crack as you roll: the disc is too cold. Let it sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes, then press any cracks closed with your fingers.
- Dough goes soft and sticky: the butter is warming. Slide it onto a floured tray and chill it for 15 minutes before you carry on.
- Crust shrank in the oven: it was stretched into the dish or skipped the 30 minute chill.
- Crust baked tough: too much water or too much handling. Next time stop adding water as soon as it holds a pinch.
Making Pie Dough Ahead and Freezing It
Wrapped discs keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. For longer, wrap them tightly in plastic and then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, not on the counter, so the butter stays cold.
Before the holidays, make two or three batches at once. Then the dough for a Thanksgiving pie is already waiting, and the leftover scraps make a small apple galette. For galettes and hand pies, let the dough soften a few minutes after chilling so it folds without cracking.
Pie Dough Questions
How do I make just one pie crust?
Halve everything: 1¼ cups (156 g) flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup (113 g) cold butter and 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water. My pumpkin pie and pecan pie use exactly that amount for one 9 inch pie base.
Can I make this pie dough in a food processor?
Yes. Pulse the butter into the flour in short bursts until you see pea-sized pieces, then add the water and pulse only until the dough starts to clump. It overmixes fast, so stop early.
How thick should pie dough be?
About ⅛ inch. A 12 inch circle at that thickness fits a standard 9 inch pie dish with enough overhang to fold and crimp.
Can I use it for savory pies?
Yes. Leave out the sugar and use it for pot pies or a mushroom quiche.
Pie Crust Recipe
This pie crust recipe is a homemade all butter pie dough made with flour, very cold unsalted butter, salt, ice water and an optional spoon of sugar. One batch makes 2 pie crusts, enough for a double crust pie or two single 9 inch pie shells, with about 15 minutes of hands-on work and 1 hour 30 minutes of chilling. Pea-sized pieces of cold butter stay in the dough and turn to steam in the oven, which is what makes the crust flaky and crisp. Use this pie dough for apple pie, cherry pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, a blind baked shell for cream pies, galettes or quiche, and halve it for one pie base. The wrapped dough keeps 3 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional, for sweet pies)
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into cubes
- 6–8 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- PREPARE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and granulated sugar (if using) until evenly combined.
- CUT IN THE BUTTER: Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips to work the butter in until the texture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits remaining.
- ADD ICE WATER: Drizzle in the ice water, one tablespoon at a time. Stir gently with a fork after each addition. Stop when the dough begins to clump together and holds when pinched between your fingers. You may not need all 8 tablespoons.
- FORM THE DOUGH: Gather the dough into one mass and divide it into two equal portions. Shape each into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- ROLL AND SHAPE: Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll one chilled disc into a 12-inch circle, approximately ⅛ inch thick. Transfer the rolled dough to your pie dish, gently pressing it into the bottom and sides without stretching.
- TRIM AND CRIMP THE EDGES: Trim the excess dough, leaving about a ½-inch overhang. Fold the overhang under itself to create a thicker edge. For a fluted edge, pinch the dough between your index finger and thumb. For a simpler finish, press the dough against the dish rim with the back of a fork.
- CHILL AGAIN: Place the prepared crust in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking. This step helps prevent the crust from shrinking in the oven.
- BAKE AS NEEDED: Follow your specific pie recipe. For blind baking, prick the base of the crust with a fork, line it with parchment paper, and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 15–20 minutes or until lightly golden.
Notes
Weights for one batch: 312 g flour, 226 g butter, about 90 to 120 g ice water. For one single crust, halve everything: 1 1/4 cups (156 g) flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup (113 g) butter and 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water. Keep the butter very cold and stop cutting it in while pea-sized pieces remain. Add water only until the dough holds when pinched; too much makes a tough crust that shrinks. Never stretch the dough into the dish, and chill the shaped crust 30 minutes before baking. The 15 to 20 minute blind bake at 375°F gives a par-baked shell; for a fully baked shell for cream pies, remove the weights and bake until the base is dry and golden all over, usually 10 to 15 minutes more. Use this crust for fruit pies, tarts, quiches, or savory fillings. Dough keeps 3 days in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 2 months if wrapped tightly; thaw overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 644Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 15mgSodium 1126mgCarbohydrates 126gFiber 4gSugar 7gProtein 16g
