Description
This flaky pie crust recipe is the perfect foundation for both sweet and savory pies, delivering a buttery, tender, and crisp texture with minimal effort. Made with simple ingredients like cold butter, flour, and ice water, it’s easy to prepare and yields a deliciously flaky crust 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: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and sugar (if using). Stir well to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Cut in Butter: Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, blend the cold, cubed butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. The butter should still be in small, pea-sized pieces to ensure flakiness.
- Add Water: Gradually add ice water one tablespoon at a time and gently mix until the dough just comes together. Avoid adding too much water; the dough should be moist but not sticky.
- Form Dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a flat disc. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to relax the gluten and firm up the butter.
- Roll Out: After chilling, lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll each dough disc into a circle large enough to fit your pie pan, turning occasionally to prevent sticking and maintain an even thickness.
- Use or Store: Use the rolled dough immediately to line your pie pan for baking, or wrap securely and freeze for up to 3 months for future use. Thaw in the refrigerator before rolling out if frozen.
Notes
- Use very cold butter and ice water to achieve a flaky texture.
- Do not overwork the dough to prevent toughness.
- You can omit sugar if making a savory pie crust.
- If dough feels too dry, add tiny amounts of ice water until it holds together.
- Resting the dough in the refrigerator is essential for flaky layers and easier handling.
