This is the best pie crust recipe I’ve ever used! I’ve been using this recipe for flaky pie crust for over 10 years and haven’t looked back. Don’t miss the helpful video that walks you through every step for guaranteed success.
My favorite foolproof pie crust recipe guarantees perfect results every time. It’s so easy to roll out, and your pies will have a crust with the most wonderful light and flaky layers.
This easy recipe works beautifully for single or double crust pies, both sweet and savory. We recommend this pie dough for almost all the pies on Inspired Taste.
The Secret to the Best Pie Crust
The secret to making the best pie crust is to coat a portion of the flour with cold butter before adding in the rest of your flour. This simple step guarantees a super flaky, light pie crust. Gluten forms when you mix flour and water. We want some gluten for structure, but too much will make your crust tough, dense, and less flaky.
Our tried and true pie crust recipe mixes a portion of the flour with our butter first. You can think about it as if we are giving the flour a butter raincoat, which make it difficult for the flour coated in butter to absorb water. In other words, it helps prevent too much gluten development. Less gluten = flakier and more tender pie crusts.
I learned this strategy of coating a portion of the flour in butter from Cooks Illustrated and Kenji López-Alt. I will be forever grateful!
How to Make Pie Dough by Hand
If you prefer to do all this by hand, you can! It will be just as easy to roll out and turns out super flaky. To make this pie crust by hand, we recommend using a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour (they are inexpensive and helpful for other recipes like biscuits and scones).
In our recipe video, we show making this recipe in a food processor and by hand using a pastry cutter. You’ll follow the same method as when we use a food processor. Combine a portion of the flour with your butter, and then add the remaining flour and water.
The Most Common Pie Dough Mistake
FAQ
How do you moisten store bought pie crust?
Why is my pie crust dry after baking?
Is pie crust better with butter or Crisco?
How do you make a good pie crust?
As mentioned before, liquid + the protein in flour = gluten. And once that gluten forms, working it — by mixing the pie crust dough, then rolling it out — increases gluten’s strength and decreases the resulting crust’s tenderness. The best pie crust is a perfect balance between fat, flour, and liquid.
How do you make a perfect crust?
As advertised..perfect crust. In a food processor, accurately measure the flour and salt. Measure and cut cold butter into 1/2 inch pieces then add to the flour. Pulse just a few short times to get large pieces of butter mixed in with the flour, add 4 tablespoons ice water, pulse 3-4 short times, and then dump it all onto a work surface.
How do you make a pie crust with ice water?
Sprinkle a tiny bit of ice water and flour onto the cracks and crumbled pieces, and gently work it all in with your fingers. Wait a minute, and then try rolling out again. More Crusts: If you need more than 2 pie crusts, make another separate batch of dough.
What can I add to a pie crust?
For a sweeter crust, add a tablespoon or two of confectioners’ sugar. Granulated sugar can make the dough sticky and harder to work with. Other additions: Wheat germ, a pinch of spice, a dash of flavorful liqueur, or cold brewed coffee are all good additions to pie crusts.