Learn how to make a perfectly buttery, flaky pie crust from scratch using this in-depth tutorial and video. This page includes all of my best success tips, lots of step-by-step photos, and a thoroughly detailed recipe. Millions of readers have been using this helpful guide since it was first published. Become a pro with this crust recipe and the rest will be as easy as… eating salted caramel apple pie!
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips.
For a baker, there’s nothing more satisfying than making a pie completely from scratch. Pies are often made for special occasions, and there’s a good reason for that: they’re time consuming. This shouldn’t scare you! It should intrigue you. If you’ve ever felt intimidated about making homemade pie crust, I’m here to walk you through it and cheer you on. If I can do this, you can do this.
Pie crust is the foundation for so many delicious desserts (plus savory pies and quiche), so once you build up your confidence in making a crust, you’re opening a door to an entire baking category. And that’s exciting! Whether your favorite pie filling is apple pie or creamy banana cream pie, or even eggs & cheese, the success of the overall pie can really hinge on the quality of the crust.
You wouldn’t hang a beautiful piece of art or favorite photo in a terrible frame, right?
Today I’m teaching you everything about making a buttery, flaky pie crust. This is my absolute favorite pie crust recipe and one of the most popular recipes on this website.
With all the recipe testing that goes into publishing the many pie recipes on this website and in my cookbooks, plus my annual Pie Week, it’s not an understatement to say that I have made a LOT of pies. Along the way, I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t, and I’m happy to share it all with you.
One reader, Laurie, commented: “Wow! I made a batch of my old favorite all-butter dough and a batch of this dough so I could have a ‘bake off’ to see which was better. This crust was fantastic: tender and very flaky. It will be my new standard crust! ★★★★★“
Another reader, Leo, commented: “This recipe was great! The dough was easy to make with the simple and detailed instructions from this recipe. I used it for my peach pie and it’s delicious! I also followed the braid and lattice tutorial and my pie looks great! ★★★★★“
Start With These 5 Ingredients
The ingredient list for pie crust is short & simple:
- Flour: Start with quality flour. Did you know that not all all-purpose flours are equal? King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour is my go-to for not only pie crust, but for everything. (Not working with the brand, just a true fan!) Why? Its high protein level: “At 11.7% protein, it tops ordinary American all-purpose flours by nearly 2 percentage points.” What does this mean? Baked goods rise higher and stay fresh longer.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor.
- Butter: For that unparalleled buttery flavor and flaky layers.
- Vegetable Shortening: For structure and stability. More on this below.
- Ice water: Liquid brings the dough together. Some recipes call for half water and half vodka, because alcohol doesn’t promote gluten formation, which helps the crust stay flaky and tender. Basically, it’s a gift to anyone who accidentally overworks dough. If you want to try using vodka, use 1/4 cup (60ml) each cold vodka and cold water in this recipe.
You can use this pie dough for so many recipes beyond a traditional pie, too, such as mini pecan pies, mini fruit galettes, apple hand pies, and homemade brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts.
Is Pie Crust Better With Butter or Shortening?
I use BOTH shortening and butter in this pie crust because they work together to make the BEST crust. Buttery, flaky, and tender: the pie-fect trifecta.
- What does butter do? Butter adds flavor and flakiness.
- What does shortening do? Shortening helps the dough stay pliable, which is helpful when you’re rolling and shaping it. Plus, shortening’s high melting point helps the crust stay tender and maintain its shape as it bakes. Have you ever had a butter pie crust lose its shape completely? Shortening is “shape insurance.” 😉
If you don’t want to use shortening, try this all-butter pie crust instead. Let’s compare:
- Using all butter creates a lighter-textured crust and this is due to the butter’s water content. As the crust bakes, the butter’s water converts to steam, lifting up the dough and creating flaky layers. But because of all this butter, the crust doesn’t usually have a perfectly neat-edge/shape compared to the shortening and butter combination.
Both crusts taste buttery and flaky. But overall, this butter-and-shortening crust wins in terms of texture and flavor; AND, if you follow the pie crust recipe carefully, it holds shape too.
The Secret to Perfect Pie Crust: COLD
The refrigerator is as important as the oven when you’re making a homemade pie.
Why the emphasis on temperature? Keeping your pie dough as cold as possible helps prevent the fats from melting before the crust hits the hot oven. If the butter melts inside the dough before baking, you lose the flakiness. When the lumps of fat melt in the oven as the pie bakes, their steam helps to separate the crust into multiple flaky layers, as explained above. Warm fats will yield a hard, crunchy, greasy crust instead of a tender, flaky crust.
The colder the ingredients, the easier your pie crust is to work with, and the better it will turn out.
Two Tricks to Start as Cold as Possible:
- I keep some of my butter in the freezer and transfer it to the refrigerator a few hours before beginning the crust. This way it is still a little bit frozen and very, very cold. Simply keep the shortening in the refrigerator.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl (the flour and salt). Place the bowl in the refrigerator or freezer while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.
These Step-By-Step Photos Will Help
Take the butter and shortening out of the refrigerator. Cube the cold butter and measure out the cold shortening. Give the shortening a little chop—this is actually optional because, truly, the shortening is quite soft even when cold so it’s easy to mix in.
Now it’s time to combine everything. Add the butter and shortening to the dry ingredients, and use a pastry cutter (or 2 forks) to cut in the fats. Some pie crust recipes use a food processor for this, but I don’t recommend it, because it can lead to overworking the fats into the dough, cutting them up too small—which means you’ll need less water and your dough will fall apart. In this step, you’re only breaking up the cold fat into tiny little flour-coated pieces; you’re not completely incorporating it:
Cut in the fats until the mixture resembles coarse meal—crumbly with lots of lumps, as you see above. You should still have some larger pieces of butter and shortening when you’re done.
From a cup of ice water, measure out 1/2 cup (120ml), since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water into the dough 1 Tablespoon (15ml) at a time, stirring after every Tablespoon has been added.
You’ll add just a little water at a time so that you don’t accidentally add too much. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I usually use 1/2 cup (120ml) of water, but if the weather is humid, you may not need as much, and if the weather is really dry, you may need a little more.
If too much water is added, the pie dough will require more flour and become tough.
If too little water is added, you’ll notice the dough is dry and crumbly when you try to roll it out and handle it.
You want the dough to clump together, but not feel overly sticky. Once the dough is clumping together, transfer the dough to a floured work surface.
Using floured hands, fold and smush (yes, that’s the technical term) the dough into itself, forming the dough into a ball. Your hands are your best tool, just like when making homemade puff pastry.
The ball of dough should come together easily. If it feels a bit too dry or crumbly, dip your fingers in the ice water and then continue forming the dough with your hands. If it feels too sticky, sprinkle on more flour and then continue forming the dough with your hands.
Once your ball of pie dough has come together, use a sharp knife to cut it in half:
This is enough dough for 2 pie crusts. You can use both crusts for a double-crust pie, like chicken pot pie and strawberry rhubarb pie; or, if your pie doesn’t require a top crust, like coconut cream pie, brownie pie, and lemon meringue pie, save the second pie crust for another pie. You can also roll out the second dough and use cookie cutters to make an easy pie design, like on this pumpkin pie.
Success Tip: Visible Specks and Swirls of Fat in Pie Dough
Take a look at the inside of the dough where you just sliced it. You want to see pieces of butter and flaky layers throughout the pie dough. These specks and swirls of butter and shortening will help ensure a flaky pie dough. They are a GOOD thing!
Now your pie dough is ready for a rest in the refrigerator. Flatten each half into 1-inch-thick discs using your hands. The disc shape makes it easier to roll out. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.
Can I Freeze Pie Dough?
Yes, absolutely, and I encourage it! Pie crust freezes beautifully, so it’s a great thing to make ahead of time. Store the tightly wrapped discs of pie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you know you’re going to want several pies around the holidays, or when your favorite fruit will be in season (cherry pie, anyone?), you can cut down on the amount of time it takes to make pies from scratch the day you want them by making several pie crusts in advance and freezing them.
Thaw the pie crust dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling it out. It will be extra cold, which is a great starting point.
How to Roll Out Pie Crust
After the dough has chilled for at least 2 hours, you can roll it out. Work with one crust at a time, keeping the other in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll it out. You’ll need a clean work surface, a rolling pin, and some flour. Lightly flour the work surface, rolling pin, and your hands, and sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough. Use gentle-medium force with your rolling pin on the dough—don’t press down too hard on the dough; you’re not mad at it!
When rolling dough out, start from the center and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go:
Between passes of the rolling pin, rotate the pie crust and even flip it, to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Sprinkle on a little more flour if it’s sticking. Roll, turn. Roll, turn.
Do you see that beautiful marbling of the butter and shortening throughout the dough? Flaky layers, here you come!
Success Tip: If you notice the dough becoming a lopsided circle as you’re rolling it out, put down the rolling pin and use your hands to help mold the dough back into an even circle:
Roll the dough into a thin 12-inch circle, which is the perfect size to fit a 9-inch pie dish. You want enough crust to have some overhang so you can make a decorative edge for your pie.
Your pie dough will be about 1/8-inch thick, which is quite thin.
Success Tip: Since your dough is so thin, use your rolling pin to help transfer the pie crust to the pie dish. Carefully roll one end of the circle of dough gently onto the rolling pin, rolling it back towards you, slowly peeling it off the work surface as you go. Pick it up, and carefully roll it back out over the top of the pie dish. It’s helpful to watch how I do it in the video below.
Make sure the pie crust is pretty well centered in the dish, with some overhang all around the sides. Tuck the crust into the pie dish, gently pressing it to the interior all the way around—no air bubbles.
Trim dough around the edges if there’s excess dough in some spots—you want about 1-inch overhang. After you add your pie filling and top crust (such as a lattice pie crust), fold overhang back over and pinch the top and bottom crusts together. Now you can create a pretty edge, such as fluting or crimping. I have a full tutorial on how to crimp and flute pie crust, but here’s a quick overview:
Fluting with fingers: To flute the edges, use a knuckle and 2 fingers to press around the edges of the pie crust, to give it a beautiful and classic scalloped look, like this apple pie.
Crimping with fork: You can also use a fork to crimp the edges, like I do with this peach pie.
Again, review my how to crimp and flute pie crust page and video if you need a little extra help with this step.
Your pie crust is ready to bake! Follow your pie recipe’s instructions from here; some recipes may call for a fully baked crust, and some may call for a partially baked (par-baked or blind baked) crust. You can read a tutorial on that here in this How to Par-Bake Pie Crust post. And some recipes, like this blueberry pie or triple berry pie, don’t require baking the crust at all before adding the filling, because the pie bakes for so long; just spoon/pour the filling right in.
Your pie recipe might call for an egg wash on the dough and for that, use a pastry brush. And if you bake a lot of pies, this list of 10 best pie baking tools will be helpful for you.
Troubleshooting Pie Crust
- Pie crust is tough: Tough crusts are the result of not enough fat in the crust, as well as overworking the dough. Use the recipe below (plenty of fat) and avoid handling the dough more than you need.
- Don’t have enough pie dough: This recipe yields 2 pie crusts. To ensure you have enough pie dough for overhang and a pretty topping, roll your dough out to a 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick.
- Pie crust shrinks down the sides of the dish when baking: This can happen when par-baking a pie crust. See section below.
- Pie dough is dry & cracking around edges when rolling: Use enough ice water when preparing the pie dough. If you work the fats into the dry ingredients too much, the dough will feel too wet before you can add enough water. (And the dough will be dry and thirsty.) Do not overwork the fats in the dry ingredients—you still want those nice crumbles. If it’s too late and you notice the edges of your pie crust are cracking as you roll it out, dip your fingers in ice-cold water and meld the edges back together. Wait a minute, and then try rolling out again.
- Pie dough is falling apart & crumbling when rolling: The dough is likely crumbling because there’s too much fat, and not enough flour and water. Again, this is usually a result of fat being worked in too much, which can easily happen if the ingredients weren’t cold enough. (Refrigerate those dry ingredients before you start!) If it’s too late and the pie dough is crumbling as you roll it out, try adding more water AND more flour. 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.
Gently work ice water drops and flour into your crumbly pie dough to bring it back together:
Blind Baking Pie Crust
If your pie recipe requires a fully baked or par-baked pie crust before adding the filling, follow the directions and success tips in this How to Par-Bake Pie Crust guide. You need 2 packs of pie weights, which are metal or ceramic beads that serve to weigh down the crust to prevent the puffing/shrinking. You could use dried beans instead. Whichever you choose, be sure to line the crust with parchment paper, then fill the empty pie crust shell with the weights prior to baking. Without pie weights, the dough will puff up, and then shrink down the sides.
Pie Crust Success Tips
- Use a glass pie dish. I prefer using a glass pie dish when I make pie. Why? Glass dishes conduct heat evenly, which allows the bottom of the crust to bake thoroughly. Also, you’ll be able to see when the sides and bottom of the crust have browned.
- The refrigerator is pie dough’s best friend. Keep everything cold every step of the way: ingredients, the bowl, and the dough before rolling. When taking the pie crust out of the refrigerator to roll out and fill, make sure your pie filling is ready to go. If not, keep the pie crust in the refrigerator until it is.
- Keep dough cold when rolling out: Warm pie dough is unworkable. If the dough becomes too warm when you’re rolling it out, stop what you’re doing, pick it up as gently as you can, put it on a plate or small baking sheet, and then cover and refrigerate it for 10–20 minutes.
- Protect the crust edges from burning: Use a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from burning. A shield keeps the crust edge covered, but the center of the pie exposed, protecting the edges. I usually just make a pie shield out of a piece of aluminum foil. Take a piece of aluminum foil and fold it in half. Cut out a half circle. When you open it back up, you’ll have a square of foil with a circle cut out of the center. If you notice the edges of your pie crust are browning before the pie has fully baked, carefully and gently place the foil over the top of the pie, centering the cut-out hole over the pie. Carefully (obviously it’s very hot!) and lightly tuck the sides of the foil around the pie crust edges, then let the pie finish baking.
- Create a beautiful topping: For designing the top crust, see How to Lattice Pie Crust, How to Braid Pie Crust, or these Pie Crust Designs. And here is my tutorial on How to Crimp and Flute Pie Crust, too.
For more pie crust inspiration, see my graham cracker crust and homemade chocolate pop tarts (with a chocolate crust!).
Print
Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 pie crusts (1 lb, 8 ounces dough total)
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This recipe is enough for a double crust pie. If you only need 1 crust for your pie, freeze the other half per the Freezing Instructions below. Is your pie dough tearing, cracking, or crumbling as you try to roll it out? See recipe Notes.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for shaping and rolling
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 2/3 cup (130g) vegetable shortening, chilled
- 1/2 cup (120ml) ice cold water
Instructions
- Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
- Add the butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). In this step, you’re only breaking up the cold fat into tiny little flour-coated pieces; you’re not completely incorporating it. Do not overwork the ingredients.
- Measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water, since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon (15ml) at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon has been added. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about 1/2 cup of water, and need a little more in dry winter months. Do not add any more water than you need.
- Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Avoid overworking the dough. If it feels a bit too dry or crumbly, dip your fingers in the ice water and then continue bringing dough together with your hands. If it feels too sticky, sprinkle on more flour and then continue bringing dough together with your hands. Form it into a ball. Use a sharp knife to cut it in half. If it’s helpful, you should have about 1 lb, 8 ounces dough total (about 680g). Gently flatten each half into 1-inch-thick discs using your hands.
- Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.
- After the dough has chilled for at least 2 hours, you can roll it out. Work with one crust at a time, keeping the other in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll it out. Lightly flour the work surface, rolling pin, and your hands, and sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough. Use gentle-medium force with your rolling pin on the dough—don’t press down too hard on the dough; you’re not mad at it! When rolling dough out, start from the center and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Between passes of the rolling pin, rotate the pie crust and even flip it, to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Sprinkle on a little more flour if it’s sticking; don’t be afraid to use a little more flour. If you notice the dough becoming a lopsided circle as you’re rolling it out, put down the rolling pin and use your hands to help mold the dough back into an even circle. Roll the dough into a very thin 12-inch circle, which is the perfect size to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Your pie dough will be about 1/8 inch thick, which is quite thin. Visible specks of butter and fat in the dough are perfectly normal and expected.
- Because your dough is so thin, use your rolling pin to help transfer the pie crust to the pie dish. Carefully roll one end of the circle of dough gently onto the rolling pin, rolling it back towards you, slowly peeling it off the work surface as you go. Pick it up, and carefully roll it back out over the top of the pie dish. It’s helpful to watch how I do it in the video below.
- Proceed with the pie per your recipe’s instructions. If your dough requires par-baking, see helpful How to Par-Bake Pie Crust tutorial.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the pie dough through step 5 and freeze the discs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in your pie recipe.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Large Glass Mixing Bowl | Pastry Cutter | Rolling Pin | 9-inch Pie Dish | For more tools you may need to completely assemble and bake your pie, see my 10 Best Pie Baking Tools list.
- Salt: Use regular table salt. If using kosher salt, use 1 and 1/4 teaspoons.
- Shortening: This recipe uses a butter and shortening combination. Butter for flakiness and flavor, and shortening for its high melting point and ability to help the crust hold shape. You can use butter-flavor shortening if desired. If you want to skip the shortening, feel free to try this all-butter pie crust instead. Some readers have substituted lard for shortening in this recipe with success.
- Can I use a food processor? You can use a food processor to bring the dough ingredients together in step 1, but I find it quickly overworks the dough. For best results and a light, flaky crust, I recommend a pastry cutter.
- Pie dough is dry & cracking around edges when rolling: Use enough ice water when preparing the pie dough. If you work the fats into the dry ingredients too much, the dough will feel too wet before you can add enough water. (And the dough will be dry and thirsty.) Do not overwork the fats in the dry ingredients—you still want those nice crumbles. If it’s too late and you notice the edges of your pie crust are cracking as you roll it out, dip your fingers in ice-cold water and meld the edges back together. Wait a minute, and then try rolling out again.
- Pie dough is falling apart & crumbling when rolling: The dough is likely crumbling because there’s too much fat, and not enough flour and water. Again, this is usually a result of fat being worked in too much, which can easily happen if the ingredients weren’t cold enough. (Refrigerate those dry ingredients before you start!) If it’s too late and the pie dough is crumbling as you roll it out, try adding more water AND more flour. 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. Doubling or tripling the recipe leads to over- or under-working the dough, which ruins all of your efforts.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I’ve tried other “easy” pie crust recipes, and I’ve never been successful until now. The pictures were really help as well as the tips and tricks. This recipe is a keeper. I love that I finally feel like I can make a homemade pie crust. Thank you!
Hi sally and team , I’m practicing pie crust this week and am enjoying every minute I bought the King Arthur unbleached flour and will use all the time I never even realized my other all purpose was bleached I am very curious is there ever a recipe you need to use bleached all purpose flour for ? Thank you again for hours of great lessons I’ve learned so much from you the past couple years my family is so impressed they put in orders lol you are Genius in baking can’t wait for the book in September
Hi Lisa, we’re so glad you’re enjoying the recipe! We prefer to use unbleached flour, but you can typically use the two interchangeably.
I have never made pie crust in my life, but I suddenly got a crazy desire to make a peach pie with a homemade crust. I’ve always been terrified to even try it! I googled how to make one and found this recipe. I followed every. Single. Step and it came out PERFECT!! I also used your recipe for the peach pie with the crumble topping. Thank you thank you! I feel like I should walk around with a superhero cape on now!
I’ve been using this recipe now for a couple of years and there’s not a better crust anywhere. I have a question though. Can I use a food processor to make the crust?
Thanks! Nancy
Hi Nancy! While you could use a food processor to make this pie crust, it’s strongly recommend to use a pastry cutter, or even two forks, to avoid over-mixing. Food processors are quick to over-work pie dough.
Help! When I roll out the pie crust, it keeps cracking/splitting. I’m thinking I’m not using enough water in the dough. What are your thoughts.
Hi Susan, We’re happy to help — pie crust can definitely be tricky. It sounds like the dough might not have enough liquid. We highly recommend at least 1/2 cup of ice water. If it’s cracking as you try to roll it out, moisten your fingertips with water and meld the dough back together as best you can. (As if it were play doh.) Hope these tips are helpful!
I made this recipe as written and did a partial blind bake on half the dough. There was a lot off butter leakage. Is that normal? Anything I should try to prevent it? It was chilled for the entire half hour. Thank you!
Hi Emily, This can happen when you have a lot of crust over hanging from your pie dish. In this case, we would put a baking sheet under the dish to catch any leaking butter. Some melting is normal!
Hi Michelle, thank you for your response. There wasn’t any overhang – it was actually pooling in the pie dish. Any ideas?
Hi Emily! If it seemed like too much, you could definitely try chilling for longer before baking next time.
Can I use salted butter and eliminate the salt in the recipe
Hi Anita, if using salted butter, you can reduce your added salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
Hi!!
I wanted to use this crust in an Apple Pie, but I only have an 11.5-inch diameter, 2-inch tall pan available. How would I adjust the recipe for that?
Hi Jan, You’ll need about twice the amount of dough for that sized pie pan. If you only need a bottom crust, the recipe as written (makes two 9-inch pie crusts) will be perfect.
Thanks for the reply!
The recipe mentioned that doubling the ingredients leads to under or over working the dough. Should I just make two batches? One for top crust and one for bottom crust?
Hi Jan, yes, that would be best!
I plan on trying this recipe with your strawberry rhubarb pie recipe! But I know when I make pies I ALWAYS have to put foil over edges to prevent excess browning. I don’t understand why all directions say to do it once you see it happening. Yeah, pull out the hot pie, maybe burn your fingers etc while trying to put the foil on. It is so much easier to put the foil on BEFORE baking. Then remove it after certain time like 20min. or half the bake time. I do this every time now!
I’m making apple pie, actually just pie, for the very first time. Dough looks great, crumbly and flaky yet holds very well when combined in my hand. The “problem” is I didn’t even use half the amount of water you said you use! I have the same exact flour, same shortening, same water — but I only used like 40 ml, not even half a cup before it looked ready. I’m wondering if maybe I did something wrong because of the massive disparity in amount of water.
Thanks for this recipe. Will try it. Will vegetable oil replace the vegetable shortening?
Hi Martha, no, you need a fat that is solid at room temperature.
ok, I did watch the tutorial and learned a good bit of science in the kitchen which I LOVED. as I said before this was the first time I made a pie crust other than the one I learned from my grandmother over 40 years ago and…
… this recipe was every bit as good if not better, I THINK TASTIER. it was a bit more touchy to roll out but I am an old pro on that so no problem there. I am glad I delved out and would like to thank you Sally for sharing so generously. I cannot wait for my signed copy of your new book. hugs on ya kiddo.
Would it be worth the extra work to make my own butter from scratch? What about to mill my own flour? Do you have recipes on those?
Hi Sam, we don’t have recipes or guides to homemade butter or flour, and don’t have any experience baking with them! Let us know what you try.
I love this pie crust recipe I made a peach pie with it recently, but your recipe did not include a temperature to cook it at or for how long and for how long with a filling. I followed my feelings recipe for that portion. But what is your recommended temperature and time with a filling?
What solid shortening do you use for your pie crust?
Hi Judy, we often use Crisco shortening, but you can use any brand you prefer. Hope you enjoy this pie crust!
Will butter flavored crisco work?
Definitely!
Hi, if I leave pie crust in the refrigerator overnight, how long should I leave it out on the counter before I try to roll it out? Is 20-30 minutes sufficient? Thank you
Hi Susan, you can go ahead and roll it cold. If it’s too stiff, you can wait a few minutes, but you want to keep it cold while you’re working with it.
Used this recipe once before and it was great. I’m going to try again for personal pot pies using tin pie pans. Do you know if the baking time & temp remains the same? Thank you in advance and thank you for such a great recipe and very well explained.
Hi Tyler, you can follow the instructions we use for mini crusts in our Mini Pumpkin Pie recipe. Enjoy!
I am a new baker and don’t have many instruments or much know-how when it comes to baking. My fiancée loves pie and I have been searching the internet for a foolproof pie recipe, but all of them seem to be for bakers who have at least a little knowledge. Your recipe lays out each step so precisely, and so clearly, I was able to make a delicious pie in my first attempt! It was a rave and I am so happy that I finally found someone who understands new bakers. Thank you!
So happy you tried this recipe Katie! Happy baking!
Hi
How do I adjust this recipe for a 10” pie crust?
Thank you
Hi Cynthia, we would use 3/4 of the dough for a 10 inch pie plate. So instead of using half for 1 9-inch pie (recipe yields enough for 2 9-inch pie crusts), use 3/4 of the dough for your size dish – honestly, you could just eyeball it. If you need a top AND bottom crust, we would 1.5x the recipe.
I’m very glad to read that you don’t trim the “extra” pie dough and toss it away. You can make a much prettier crust edge with some dough to work with, and good pie crust should be eaten.
Curious if instead did using vegetable shortening I could use Lard?
Hi Maddy, some readers have reported success using lard in place of the shortening. Let us know if you try it!
I had never made pie crust before trying this recipe as part of a quiche and I haven’t tried another recipe since. In 6 months, I’ve probably made at least 30 pie crusts for quiche and pot pies. Every time, it’s a rave review. Thank you for such a well-written and explained recipe!
Should I par-bake my crust if I’m using canned fruit?
Hi Anna, it depends on the recipe/type of filling. What type of pie are you making?
Can you make hand held pies and fry them? Some recipes call for it but I’m not positive about it
Hi Kyle, we haven’t tried frying this dough, but let us know if you do!
Brilliant
This was my first pie crust I ever made and it turned out great thanks to the detailed instructions provided with this recipe! Thanks for helping to make this a Happy & Delicious π Day!
I am not sure why, but every time I make this crust, I never have enough crust to trim or finish the edges. I am rolling it out extremely thin, to where handling it is very difficult. I LOVE this crust, just wish I could figure out how to make it work!
Hi Julie! We’re happy to help troubleshoot. You should be able to roll the dough into a thin 12-inch circle, which is the perfect size to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Your pie dough will be about 1/8-inch thick, which is quite thin. We find a rolling pin is helpful for moving the crust from the work surface to the pie dish—the photos and video from this post may be helpful here. If it still seems quite hard to move, is it possible that your fats are being overworked into the dough, making it especially soft? You’ll want to make sure the fats are super cold, and if the dough starts to get too warm, you can pop it back in the refrigerator to help firm it up again. Let us know if we can help troubleshoot further!
I have had this same problem! Today I finally had enough rim to work with. When I put it in my pie plate I started pushing it down in the center of the plate and with my fingers and sort of stretching it towards the edges. I worked my way to the edges using this method and it left me with enough dough to fold over onto itself and flute the edge. I hope this makes sense and helps!
Excited to try this! Any tips on substituting GF flour?
Hi Vanny! We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour but let us know if you give it a try.
I love this recipe! I have a friend who is a vegan. Could I make this with all shortening? If so, could I substitute the 6tbsp butter with 6 tbsp butter flavored shortening?
Hi Leila, You can use all shortening but your pie crust will not be as flaky.
Absolute the best ever! Have made it twice now once for hand pies for a ski event, and once a week later for a pie for us. Both tasted great, and most important, the hand pies (cherry) did not crack and were easily eaten out of hand with mittens. This is my replacement for the recipe I have used for the past 40 years! Make it! you would’t be disappointed.
Would it work to freeze butter anf then grate it rather than chunks
Hi Shirley, You can use frozen butter and grate it for this pie dough. However, you’ll still need to cut it in. You can use a fork and mix very well.