Description
This homemade pie crust recipe delivers a tender, flaky crust using simple ingredients like all-purpose flour, chilled butter, sugar, salt, and iced water. Perfect for sweet or savory pies, this versatile dough is quick to prepare with a food processor or stand mixer and requires chilling before baking for optimal texture.
Ingredients
Pie Crust Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- ½ cup iced water
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients: Using the dough blade or paddle attachment of a food processor or stand mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Pulse or mix briefly to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Add butter and pulse: Add the chilled, cubed butter to the mixture. Pulse a few times to break up the butter chunks; some pieces should remain visible to help create a flaky texture.
- Incorporate iced water: Pour in the iced water and pulse until the dough just comes together and forms a rough, shaggy dough. Avoid overmixing to maintain texture.
- Form the dough: Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface. Press the dough together into a pile using two hands. Fold the dough over itself several times until the butter is mostly incorporated but still visible in small patches.
- Shape and chill: Divide the dough into two equal portions and form each into a ball. Flatten each ball into a disc about 1 inch thick. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow the dough to firm up and the gluten to relax, ensuring a tender crust.
Notes
- Use very cold butter and iced water to keep the dough flaky.
- Do not overwork the dough; visible chunks of butter will create the desired flakiness.
- Chilling the dough for at least 4 hours improves texture and makes rolling easier.
- This crust can be used for both sweet and savory pie recipes.
- Bring the dough to room temperature for a few minutes before rolling out if it’s too hard.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
