No-Fail Best Ever Pie Crust

 
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There is nothing like flaky, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, made from scratch pie crust. I find that it always beats store-bought 100 times over in terms of how flavorful and tender it is. Here’s my favorite recipe and why it works!

No fail all-butter pie crust

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

  • 6-7 tablespoons cold water

Directions

With a food processor (recommended)

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and process until fully mixed, about 30 seconds. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture comes together when pressed in your hands.

By hand

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed butter and cut it into the flour using a pastry blender or two knives. Continue until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until a dough forms.

Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

If you are making the dough in advance, place the wrapped disks in a sealable freezer bag and label it with the date. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

WHY IT WORKS

  • Cold Butter

    • Using cold butter is key for making the flakiest pie crust possible. If you have little bits of cold butter in the dough, the water in the butter will evaporate and leave layers of small air pockets in the baked crust. This is how you get a super flaky crust, so make sure to use cold butter!

  • Cold Water

    • On that note, cold water is also important to help keep the butter cold. That’s it :-)

  • Food Processor

    • This is more for your sanity—using a food processor is much faster, easier, and more efficient, than cutting the butter in by hand. I never have the patience to cut in the butter using two knives or a pastry blender, although those techniques will certainly work in a pinch.

Rachel Fong