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 2015. Become a pro with this crust recipe and the rest will be as easy as… eating salted caramel apple pie!
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.
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, 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!).
PrintHomemade 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 |Â Rolling Pin | 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.
Hi Sally!Â
So my pie in currently in the oven…. but I did a taste test of the pumpkin pie filling and it was GOOD. I also tried your crust recipe for the first time. I love the idea of mixing shortening and butter. But when I pre-baked the crust it collapsed down. Also, I didn’t use pie weights because I never have and my crusts always turn out fine. What makes this particular crust recipe so unique?Â
Lots of butter and shortening to shrink it down. I always recommend pie weights just to be safe!
So this is my second time making this crust and it’s still amazing!! Thank you so much for posting it!! I’m what I like to refer to as an intermediate baker lol. I only make pies around the holidays because they’re so much work but you’ve made it very easy!
Hi Sally, I actually have lard on hand. Could I use it in place of the shortening in this recipe? Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving!
You sure can!
Making your pie crust today!!! Could I use salted butter and omit the salt from the recipe?Â
I would still use about 1/2 teaspoon of salt if using unsalted.
I made this crust for the first time today (after many attempts with other recipes) and this recipe IS IT!! I used the half water/half vodka and it was so delicious! But my crust edges always crack while I’m rolling it out and don’t stay in a nice circular shape, any hints? Thanks!
It happens, sometimes cannot be avoided! Simply smooth them down with your fingers. This always helps!
Success! I consider myself a pretty good cook, but have struggled with pie crust. Â I made this yesterday as part of your Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie. Â It worked perfectly. Â The dough had visible chunks of butter, I worked it minimally and the result was flaky, tender and delicious. Â I will be trying a vodka version soon. Â I have one suggestion though…your instructions say to discard the pie crust trimmings. Â Rather than waste them, put them in a baking pan, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and pop in the oven along with the pie. Â A few minutes later you have a yummy snack! Â
my crust always has pieces of visible butter in it. Should I be kneading the dough more to better incorporate the butter with the flour? Thanks for great recipe. Even with the butter marbled throughout it was a great crust I made today.
The visible butter swirls are GOOD! You want those; don’t stir or handle the dough more to rid them.
Tried out this crust for your chicken pot pie recipe and it turned out great.
Quick question: is there any way to adjust the ingredients for a 9.5″ pie dish? I did have a bit of leftover dough for the 9″ version but it won’t be enough to fill the bigger dish.Â
Thanks
Hi Ivy! I’m unsure. I’ve used this exact crust in a 9.5 dish with no issue. Do you think you could keep working at it to make it fit?
Hi Sally! I need 4 crusts, can i just double this recipe? I know doubling can be tricky sometimes. Would i be better off just making the recipe twice? Thanks 🙂
Make the recipe twice. That’s what I always do!
Hello Sally!
I am a pie baking nerd like yourself. I have always been a die hard butter crust girl but am going to be open about using shortening this time!
One question. Do you put the pie shield on immediately before baking? Or wait until the edges get to the desired doneness and then shield?
In the past I have always just covered with foil once the edges are done to my liking. This time I am trying out my pie shield and just not sure when to put it on?
Thanks! Great post!
Hi Jennifer! Great question. I put a pie shield on when I notice the edges beginning to brown.
I made three batches of this pie crust for Christmas and it was delicious! I thought I’d let everyone know, I did not add enough water to the dough but I didn’t realize it until I tried to roll it out (it just crumbled when I tried to roll it out) so I added more ice water after it was chilled and it worked out just fine!
My 8 children are in love with a somewhat local restaurants pie crusts. But it’s almost a 2 hour trip each way just to eat their chicken pot pie & a slice of pie. Each time I try to duplicate the crust I fail tragically. Even using my 90 year  old grandma’s recipe failed the kid test. But this weekend I made a large turkey and had plenty of leftovers so I thought I would give it another try.  Your title jumped out at me & I was hopeful. I pulled out the ingredients I had on hand and gave it a whirl.  (Chilled salted butter, Butter flavored Crisco & so on) I wasn’t paying attention and cut up a full stick of butter. But I remembered my grandma adding extra flour to balance it out, but I added a bit too much flour and added more water slowly by the Tbsp. I tell you what it was amazing! Their response was, cool mom now we don’t have to drive to Bangor anymore. They ate 4 pot pies in under 20 minute. I didn’t get a chance to freeze 2 of them for a later date, they devoured them.  Thank you so much for this recipe,  you have saved me approximately  $200 each month. I no longer have to send $75 in gas (12 passenger vans are expensive to fill) plus the restaurant bill to feed our family & we no longer have to buy a “case” of wine (lol) to relax after a 4 hour screamfest driving to and from the restaurant. Now we can afford date night again!  Thank you, thank you, thank you
Oh, and P.S., it was easy too — so much easier to roll out and get into the pie plate intact than any other crust I have ever made!
Thank-you very much! I decided to try this pie crust recipe when I made tourtière on Christmas Eve. My mother’s recipe for the meat filling is outstanding, but I could never quite replicate her crust. I was hesitant to try this at first because it has so much more fat than I am accustomed to using. What a pleasant surprise! This year’s pie was by far the best I have ever made. Even mom would have been proud!Â
I used this tutorial to make pie crust from scratch for the first time ever – my pie (pumpkin, also completely from scratch!) turned out wonderfully! I received so many complements on the pie and specifically how good the crust was (I was curious and tried with half vodka). Thank you! This is my go-to recipe from now on!
Hi there! I just wanted to let you and your readers know that I used this recipe for a chicken pot pie and it was PERFECT. So flaky and delicious. I did use all butter because I didn’t have any shortening and though there is a strong butter flavor, I thought it was fine with the savory dish. If I were to make a cherry pie, say, I think I’d use shortening. Anyway thanks for the great recipe!Â
Recipe looks great! I Â appreciate the pictures. I am making chicken pot pie today and I have a large family so wanted to use a glass 9×13. Should I double the recipe?Â
Yes, double the recipe for that size pan.
Silly question, can you add more water after the dough has chilled, if it is too crumbly when you are rolling it? If yes, do I need to re chill it after adding the water? I have never been able to figure out pie crust and want to give this a try on Tuesday, to make your Chicken Pot PIe on Wednesday. I’ve made the pot pie before, but always with a store bought crust. LOVE the pot pie recipe!! Your instructions are fantastic, so easy to follow! Thank you!!
Amanda, I’ve never had luck doing that. Make sure you are adding enough ice cold water as you are mixing it. Add just enough so the dough comes together and clumps like the picture shown. Around 1/2 cup.
Hi,
I made this pie crust recipe in my food processor. Â I did not use as much water as mentioned in the recipe because it came together like the pictures without as much water. Â When I tried to roll it out, the dough kept breaking apart but still felt moist and not crumbly. Â What can I do next time to keep this from happening? Â I was afraid to add more water because I figured it would be too sticky. Â Thank you!
Terri
Terri, to prevent this– add more water. A crumbly crust doesn’t have enough moisture. Add 2 more Tbsp. That should be plenty.
This pie crust turned out amazing, Â nicely gold and flaky! I was amazed by how easy it was to roll it out . A complete success! Thank you for sharing the recipe!Â
Hi Sally! This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it today! Quick question that I’ve been wondering about for a while…does it turn out yummier using the unsalted butter? I have both that and salted in my fridge and in most cases I prefer the salted butter…for this recipe though you would use the unsalted? Thanks so much and happy thanksgiving!!Â
Using unsalted gives you complete control over the salt going in. The amount of salt in salted butter varies between brand so you could end up with super salty baked goods and pie crusts even if you reduce the salt in the actual recipe. I always suggest unsalted.
Made these tonight and so excited to see how they turnout. Â Should I grease or flour the bottom of the pan? Â When I’ve skipped this in the past I’ve had crust stick, but I haven’t tried this recipe so perhaps with all the fats perhaps sticking won’t be an issue? thanks! Â
This pie crust won’t stick to the bottom of the pan unless filling seeps through it.
Hi Sally! Â After I add the 1/2 cup of water tablespoon by tablespoon and transfer the dough to a floured surface, my dough is a little crumbly and has a hard time sticking together. Â How do I precent this? Â Thanks!
If it’s still too crumbly to work with, add a little more ice water Tbsp by Tbsp until it comes together.
Hi,
When I roll out the dough I get cracks on the edges that get bigger and bigger as I roll it out so that in the end my dough isn’t round and when I put it in the dish I have to patch certain areas. How do I avoid this?
Thanks
Marilyne, that is a result of not enough liquid in the pie crust. It’s cracking because it is too dry. Add a little more ice water next time– 1 Tbsp at a time.
I know this comment is a little late but this pie crust recipe and instruction are amazing. I nailed it first try and made my very first completely from scratch pumpkin pie (even the pumpkin did not come from a can for I finally had the time to make it fresh and i like the texture better). This was seriously the best pumpkin pie I have ever eaten and I know ours because of the crust!!!! Thank you!Â
After searching every nook and cranny ad nauseam for pie crust I finally had an epiphany, let me just see what sally’s baking addiction has. . . and sure enough here it is. I don’t know why I bothered looking elsewhere because everything I’ve made of yours has come out beautifully- instructions are detailed easy to follow (even amusing at times) and the recipes themselves turn out beautiful AND taste amazing! Thanks!
 I’m making this pie crust to go in your apple crumble pie today. I finally understand that I’m an overworker when it comes to pie crust. What are your thoughts on using a food processor to combine flour and fats? Is there an impact to the finished product? Thanks!
Thanks so much Erin. And about the food processor. I do not use one, ever, when I make pie crust. I SWEAR by a pastry cutter. You have more control with your hands.
Homemade pie crust is one cooking basic that I had given up trying to master – UNTIL TODAY! I prepared this recipe for meat pies, and I ended up enjoying the crust more than the filling. Unlike ALL my previous attempts, this pie crust was extremely tender and flaky. It is so flaky, it reminded me of phyllo dough, but richer with a delightful crumb. I added 1 tsp of sugar, which for me, balances the flavor of the crust. If one can “master” a recipe in one attemp, I did it, thanks to this awesome recipe post. Thank you, Sally!
Hi there! Thanks for such an informative post. I’m curious… if I wanted to use lard in this recipe, I should substitute it for the shortening, right? Or what would you recommend? I don’t think I would / should do only lard, because I like the flavor that butter adds, so I’m assuming I should do some combination of something. Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth! Yes, replace the shortening with the lard.
Hey, Sally. I’ve been following you for years and I know every recipe I try of yours is going to be foolproof. But this pie crust, man… It’s really kicked my ass.
I’ve tried it at least 3 times with and without a pastry cutter and it ALWAYS comes out crumbly and falls apart. Also, the mixture turns into clumps long before I add the water, so I typically add about 1 Tbsp of water out of the 1/3 of a cup that you recommend because its already clumpy and coming together. What do you think could be the problem? One thing I do is cut the shortening in before the butter, or vice versa, but not together. Could that be why? I swear by your recipes and I know this would be fantastic so I really wanna nail it.Â
Hey Robin! Easy fix. The reason is the lack of water! The reason your dough is crumbly and falls apart is because there is no liquid in the pie dough. There needs to be liquid. Use about 1/2 cup. Trust me!
YES! It worked! I knew your recipes were foolproof. You’re awesome, thanks so much! I can finally make pie!
I have to admit, this particular post was a make-it-or-break-it one for me. Â I have a very special place in my heart for pies and pie crusts and if you had some flimsy, silly post, I was ready to leave forever. Â But, you NAILED IT! Â I have worked on pie crusts for years to get them “just right” and it seems like you have done the same. Â EXCELLENT INSTRUCTIONS! Â Thank you.