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 | 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.
This crust was delicious! I had little trouble working with the crust, which may have been in part because I finally have decent tools, or because of the instructions about how much water to use. I think I have always used too little water because I was so afraid of overdoing it. I was 2T shy of the amount of Crisco I needed, so I swapped it 1:1 with butter. This is going to be my go-to recipe!
This recipe FAILED until I disregarded the ‘use as little water as required’ .. People … ‘Sally’ says: measure 1.5 cup water adding 2 TBs at a time (and Sally uses nearly 1/2cup of water) so when I used only 4 TB water the dough was impossible to work with! So tie Sally to a tree and flogg her with whip – cream!!! (preff the original, organic kind of whipped cream) SALLYs recipe isn’t wrong – I just took too much precaution. Who ever writes this recipe ‘ain’t good enough’ … its AMAZING recipe – Mega thanks SALLY !
I try to avoid partially hydrogenated oil. Have you ever substituted coconut oil for shortening? How does that turn out?
Hi Joanne, I don’t recommend coconut oil. Try this All Butter Pie Crust instead!
I used this recipe for a chicken pot pie and it was perfect. Flaky and delicious. Followed every instruction meticulously. Was rewarded big time!!
It has a nice flavor raw, (for some reason I was obsessed with the raw pie dough), but after baking, it tasted kind of plain and salty (even though I reduced the salt to 3/4 tsp) and wasn’t that flaky. It was also impossible to work with, and I did replace one tablespoon of water with apple cider vinegar if that did something. I definitely couldn’t roll on the rolling pin and place on the pan! I had to pick up my floured nonstick dough rolling mat and flip it upside down on my pie and peel it off! I have made many great things from this blog so I think that this recipe in specific is just an outlier, but I don’t think I would recommend it.
Again your recipe impresses Sally! This pie crust was the best pie crust I’ve ever had in my entire life; it was perfect. A huge hit for a friends birthday; I made Strawberry Rhubarb and mostly followed your recipe as well, except I used Grapefruit zest instead of Orange Juice. I meant to use Orange Zest but accidentally bought a grapefruit; really liked the flavour it added though, ended up being a blessing as opposed to a mistake. But wow, the crust was truly the highlight of this pie. Will always always use this pie crust recipe for as long as I live. Your video provides great instruction as well. I also only needed to use a little more than 1/4 cup of water as my dough was already beginning to form. Can’t express how impressed I am with everything I have baked by you!
I have been making this crust for years, it’s be ok, but not perfect. Today while I was preparing for my blueberry strawberry pie, I left my butter and shorting in freezer longer than I wanted, so they came out like ice cube, I was worried. however, it didn’t gave me problems when I mixing together in my food processor. It turns out perfect. this is the best pie crust I ever made, it’s so flaky. So I will doing the same next time. It makes sure the perfect crust. Thanks!
First time making pie crust from scratch and it turned out beautifully! Used it with your chicken pot pie recipe and it was a bit hit with the family! Had a little dough left over so I used it to make a danish-type thing with a homemade crabapple butter filling, and it was great!
I tried this recipe today, my apple pie turned out amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. I was so nervous about doing the crust from scratch, but it was so easy.
Grenada W.I
Hey sally I was wondering if I could substitute plant butter? Thanks!
This is the first recipe from this site that has been a total flop for me. I tried it a few times and I just wasn’t a fan. It was too salty and hard to work with and roll out. I thought it was me but I ended up successfully using a different recipe. It reminded me of the crust on a microwave pot pie (it was a bit nostalgic, honestly!) so I’d say this may lend itself well to a savory application.
I am working in a hot, humid southern kitchen. I think this was the issue and I recommend an all butter crust will less hydration if you’re in a similar situation.
I have made this recipe twice and the first time it came out great! The second time for some reason the dough was EXTREMELY salty. I love salt personally, but it was very overpowering. It may have been user error but I’m unsure what to make of this recipe. I would recommend less salt, otherwise it’s a great recipe!
This is my favorite dough recipe Ever❣️ I use this for beef/broccoli pie, homemade cinnamon rolls, melk tert, best ever flaky crust. I use lard and butter.
I’ve officially ditched my family recipe for this one! I’m not usually a huge fan of pie crust but this one is to die for. I definitely need some practice with the lattice work but your tutorial is so helpful! I’m no longer fearful of making a dry, crumbly crust! Thank you, Sally! As always, you knocked it out of the park!
Hi Sally,
I made this dough last night with a food processor and it was the perfect consistency when I wrapped it up and put in the the refrigerator. I chilled the dough overnight but when I tried to roll it out this morning the dough was so hard and stiff it cracked and fell apart. Was the dough too dry? What can I do?
Hi Ted, I’m glad to help. If the dough is just too hard right out of the refrigerator, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. It will still be cold, but even a few minutes at room temperature will help soften it up. Roll out very slowly and gently. If it’s cracking, use your hands to bring the edges back together. (I always use my fingers to “meld” any cracks back together– as if it were play doh.) If it’s cracking, the dough may not have enough liquid. I highly recommend at least 1/2 cup of ice water. Most pie dough problems come from not adding enough water. I hope all of this can help for next time. Don’t give up!
Hi Sally
I have made this pie crust once before and it was wonderful
The best I ever made but yesterday I prepared the dough and left it in the refrig over night
This morning when I tried rolling it out it was sticking to the mat and breaking i was unable to place it in the pie plate with it cracking
I even had to made a crumble topping
What did I do wrong. HELP
Hi Linda, when dough is too fragile and sticky like this, there’s always a fix– add more flour. Keep adding flour to your work surface, rolling pin, and hands. If it’s cracking because it’s flaking apart, a spritz of water helps bring it back together. Or moisten your fingertips to help bring the dough back together.
Sally could lard be used in place of the shortening? I accidentally bought lard!
Yes!
Hi Sally, I don’t have a pastry cutter (or can’t find it anyway ♀️) Would it work to grate frozen butter, like your scones recipe?
Hi Katie, 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. I usually don’t recommend a food processor for this dough because it can easily over-work the dough.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
I had tried making pie crust unsuccessfully a couple times in the past, but despite being a decent baker, I failed. After making a few things off your site and loving how thoroughly everything is explained and photographed, I knew it was time to try again. And I did it!! I used your homemade pie crust recipe and your cherry pie recipe and I made a DELICIOUS cherry pie for my family tonight, 100% from scratch and 100% thanks to your teaching. If I didn’t say it enough…thank you! 🙂
Why is my pie crust shrinking?
Hi Betty! Without knowing exactly what went wrong, let me help with the Pie Crust Tips and Troubleshooting Pie Crusts lists above. I hope those sections are helpful.
Hi Sally!
I added the water until the dough started to come together (1/2 cup) but my crust after several hours in the fridge is wet and softer than I was expecting. It was never so sticky as to coat my hands but now I’m thinking I may be in trouble. Will dusting this crust with flour while rolling it out save it? Is it doomed? Thank you!
And thanks for your wonderful recipes, they’re a staple in my home.
Hi Annette, flour will help. Whenever I accidentally over-work the fats into the dough (creating a softer, wetter dough) and/or add too much water, using enough flour during the rolling process is always a nice saving grace.
I have lived my whole life to finally make a delicious pie crust. This recipe is fantastic and the instructions are suberb! Thank you.
Hi Sally. What can I use instead of shortening?
Hi Shannon, You can follow the recipe for my All Butter Pie Crust.
Things seemed to go fairly smoothly – this was my first time making pastry of any kind, so I was a little nervous! – but once it was baked… it was flaky but SOOOOO salty! I like salt to bring out flavor, but this was over the top salty and we couldn’t eat much of it because of that. I went with your recipe because I had amazing success with one of your cake recipes (mmm), but I’ve now started comparing this particular recipe to others, and the salt content called for in this recipe is quite a bit more. 1-1/4 tsp in this recipe versus a pinch or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp in others. It might be good to put a disclaimer on that for those who prefer more or less salt? I’ll probably try this again, but with no more than 1/2 tsp salt.
Hi Marie, this amount of salt is typical for a dough that yields 2 pie crusts. Thank you so much for trying the recipe and feel free to reduce the salt based on your preferences!
Sally,
I used 1/2 a cup of water and it was super watery so i used a little less than 1/2 cup for the next one and now my crust is super cracky and won’t roll out without cracking down the middle.
Help!
Hi Madison! I swear by using 1/2 cup of water in this dough and highly recommend most do the same. However, if you over-work the butter and shortening into the flour OR if either are too warm, the dough will seem wetter faster– and before you can add all 1/2 cup. Make sure you aren’t overworking the fats, make sure they’re cold, and then stick with 1/2 cup water. I hope this helps!
Hi Sally, Thank you for this recipe. It’s my go to for pie crust. I was shamed by a friend when I told her I buy store bought pie crust! Always up for a challenge, one that I had tried repeatedly and failed, I tried your recipe. Success!! I make multiple recipes at once, but don’t add water and store my crumbles in a huge jar in the freezer (King Arthur trick)….so whenever I want to make a pie I measure out 1 1/2 cups of pie crumbles for one crust or 3 cups of crumbles for two crusts. Thanks again, love your blog
Hi Sally, love your website. You are such an inspiration! I never use the 1/2 cup water either, am I overworking the dough? It almost starts clumping together before I start to add the water; however I can see pee sized specks of butter in the dough so I didn’t think I was over-working it. The last batch of dough I blind baked even had Like pot holes were the butter melted away during blind bake. Any tips or advice?
The crust tastes amazing so not ready to throw in the towel yet.
Hi Brad, 1/2 cup of ice water is my baseline. Whenever readers are having trouble with pie dough– it’s cracking, too dry, falling apart, etc– it’s usually because there wasn’t enough water in the dough. When in doubt, add more ice water. You could be over-working the butter and shortening into the dough which is why the dough seems sticky before adding any water at all. Less is more. Make sure both fats are very cold. You could also refrigerate the flour in the mixing bowl, too.
Delicious crust. I will make this my go to crust from now on. Thank you for sharing all your recipes.
I’ve read that par-cooking the apple filling beforehand reduces the chances for a soggy crust and over juicy pie. Have you tried that method?
Hi Karen, I have, yes! Though I’ve found zero difference in how the pie crust bakes or tastes. The apple pie filling usually seems mushier though. But that’s my opinion and you can certainly try it if you’d like.
Best crust EVER! The only variation – as I discovered I was out of shortening – used 1/2 butter & 1/2 coconut oil for shortening. My mother has made from scratch pie crusts for over 60 years & we all agreed this one (fresh cherry pie) topped hers! Now going to make strawberry glaze pie with same crust.