Description
This Flaky Pie Crust recipe delivers a buttery, tender, and easy-to-make crust that’s perfect for sweet or savory pies. Made with simple ingredients like cold butter, flour, and a touch of ice water, this crust can be quickly prepared and chilled, providing a flaky texture that bakes up beautifully every time.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional for sweet pies)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 6–8 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and optional sugar in a large bowl, mixing them thoroughly to ensure even distribution of flavors.
- Cut in Butter: Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining to ensure flakiness.
- Add Water: Gradually mix in the ice water, one tablespoon at a time. Stir gently until the dough just begins to hold together but is not overly wet or sticky.
- Form Dough: Gather the dough into two equal parts and shape each into a disc. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up, which helps create a flaky texture.
- Roll Out: On a lightly floured surface, roll each chilled dough disc to fit your pie pan or desired shape, making sure to lift and turn the dough to prevent sticking.
- Use or Store: Use the rolled dough immediately to line your pie pan and proceed with your pie recipe. Alternatively, freeze the dough discs for up to 3 months, thawing them in the refrigerator before use.
Notes
- Keep all ingredients, especially the butter and water, very cold to ensure a flaky crust.
- Do not overwork the dough to prevent toughness.
- If the dough cracks while rolling, let it warm slightly or use extra water to help it come together.
- This crust works well for both sweet and savory pies.
- For a sweeter crust, increase sugar in the dry ingredients as desired.
- Chilling the dough is crucial for texture and ease of handling.
