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.
Just made your pie dough tonight. First time making a homemade dough. It came out perfect!! I made my apple pie. So delish! And so easy. Thank you.
Pie novice here! I just made the dough of your pie crust and it is currently resting in the fridge. I’m a bit nervous that I didn’t add enough water to the dough. There are large flaps in the dough and I was having some difficulty with making a ball since the flaps kept jutting out. Is this normal or do I have to start from scratch again? I’m making two pies with a braided crust (something I hope to achieve but I’m worried I might not be able to pull off) so I doubled the ingredients.
Hi Rebecca! 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.) You may also find it helpful to make each batch separately rather than doubling, so that you don’t run the risk of overworking or underworking the dough. Hope these tips are helpful!
This pie crust was so easy to put together and came out beautifully. If I am par-baking, how do I know it’s time to come out? I am baking on an aluminum pan with parchment paper and pie weights but when I pull off the parchment paper, it’s sticking to the dough. Does that mean it should be kept in for longer? I feel like even with the given time, the dough in the center is still raw, even after baking again with the pie filling.
Hi Kaitlen, it depends on the pie recipe you are following. Have you seen my page all about par-baking pie crust? Sometimes recipes instruct you to full par-bake pie crust or partially par-bake pie crust. When I partially par-bake pie crust, I usually remove the weights and bake it for a few extra minutes to help set the dough that was covered with the weights. If, as you remove the parchment/weights, the dough is sticking– try to use your hands or a spatula to carefully separate the dough from the parchment.
Hello!
I have problems with oozing butter/lard while blind baking. It happens almost every time. I use butter and leaf lard for pie crusts.
Hi Cathey! Some melting is normal during baking. Make sure to keep your pie dough very cold before baking and that your pieces of fat aren’t too large in the crust – both of these things should help!
I have used the pie crust multiple times and I love it. I wanted to make small individual pies this time if I roll an cut out circles how many times can I rework the dough to make more circles before it will result in a tough pastry?
Hi Megan, there’s no set number of times, but we imagine after a few it will get harder to work with. Feel free to put the dough back in the refrigerator between rolls in order to keep it cold.
(Edited to correct)
I’ve followed the recipe for the fourth time, even using different flours & weighing out the ingredients and find that the liquid amount stated is about double what I need.
There is a absolutely NO way the full amount can be used without adding another 1-1.5 c. flour here in the Toronto area.
From some of the comments it sounds as if others are experiencing wet doughs also.
Figured I’d add this here: I highly suggest adding the water VERY slowly and stopping when it JUST sticks together.
(Thanks for all your creativity & hard work!)
My dad reckons that this is the best pie crust I’ve ever made.
Fantastic recipe. I appreciate this is an all butter recipe! Came out delicious and flaky!
This pie crust is great, and the deep dish apple pie is my husbands favorite! I made the pie crust yesterday and happened to notice that the amount of salt is 1 teaspoon but your video says 1 1/4 teaspoons. Which is best? Thanks for all the amazing recipes!!!
Hi Carrie, stick with 1 tsp. So glad you love it!
This is so inspirational! It makes me just want to make ALL THE THINGS! What do you do with all the food you make? I bake more than my family can eat – do you have any suggestions for what to do with all the food? Really relating to the “addiction” part of your name LOL
Hi Shelby! We share with everyone and anyone who will take them! We share mostly everything that doesn’t fit in the freezer (and that’s still edible!).
I am having 17 people in for Thanksgiving. I want to bake three chocolate pies, a lemon meringue pie and a pecan pie. My son is baking the pumpkin pies. How many of these can I bake ahead using your recipes? My oven will be in use for the turkey (20 pound ) on Thanksgiving Day.
Thank you so much for all your help and wonderful recipes!
Linda R
Hi Linda, all of our recipes have make ahead instructions in their recipe notes. It would be best to look at each recipe and see what is suggested for each. Such a great plan to get a head start on those Thanksgiving pies!
I spooned and measured the flour in measuring cups (2 1/2 cups), but then put it on the scale and it weighed more than 313g. I took out some flour to make it 313g exact. I weighed my fats exact as well and felt my dough was way too soft and very difficult to roll out. It stuck to everything and ripped easily. Do you think I needed that extra flour I took out, or did I overwork the fats?
Hi Mary, we’re happy to help. It could be either that you mention. Overworking the fats will create a soft dough — if you find it becoming too soft as you work, you can stick the mixture back in the refrigerator for a bit to help cool it, or try adding a tablespoon of additional flour at a time to help it come together. Hope this helps for next time!
Homerun! This recipe yields a fantastic pie crust. I can’t even explain how good it is. I blind baked mine, then used a John Folse recipe called Honey Pecan Pie. I’m a Cajun and so is Chef Folse! He cooks nothing but Cajun and Creole and boy is it mmm mmm good! With the crust snd the filling, I am in heaven. I can’t wait to share this with my friends and family. Thank you Sally for reaching and making it easy and fun!!! Keep it up! Love it!!
Thank you so much for sharing your kind feedback, Mrs. Roux!
I am a newly retired teacher and am beginning all the things I love to do but never had time before. I just spent my birthday money on all the equipment I need to bake a pie (thanks for al the great suggestions). While I wait for the Amazon truck to arrive, do you have a lemon meringue pie recipe that you love? My father-in-law loves them and I want to perfect one for Thanksgiving. Thank you for all the great suggestions, BTW. I have been afraid of pie crust my entire life and am ready to dive in thanks to you!!!
Hi Carrie, we sure do. Here is our lemon meringue pie recipe. We hope you and your father-in-law enjoy it, and happy baking!
Hi, thanks for this awesome recipe and detailed instructions. I was wondering if we can use whole wheat flour for the crust? Or replace half of all purpose flower with whole wheat flour?
Hi Vicki, We strongly recommend all-purpose flour in this pie crust. You can try to search for a whole wheat pie crust recipe alternative. It won’t be a 1:1 switch in our recipe. Let us know if you find a good one!
I plan on using this crust for a party tomorrow, and am wondering if substituting some of the water for vodka would help make a flakier crust?
You sure can! See the subsection titled “Vodka in Pie Crust?” — use 1/4 cup cold vodka and 1/4 cup ice cold water in the recipe.
First time ever baking a pie, really appreciate your step by step instructions. Are pie weights necessary for baking pies?
Thanks
Hi Shirleen, only if you are par baking (blind baking) the pie crust. If you’re curious about that, here is my page about par-baking pie crust.
When making a pie with a very juicy fruit, like fresh peaches, how can I stop the bottom crust from being soggy?
Hi Judy, we’ve never had a particularly soggy bottom crust with this recipe. You might find it helpful to par-bake the crust when making very juicy pies — most recipes will indicate this step, if necessary.
Hi Sally! I love baking pies now, thanks to you! Question – how do i convert this pie crust recipe to make multiple 6 inch pies instead of 9 inch pies?
Hi Rose, it depends how many 6 inch pies you are baking. You can always make 2-3 batches of this dough so you have plenty and then freeze any leftovers to use at another time.
Would this recipe (good for 2 9inch pies) be enough to make 3 6inch pies? 🙂
Hi Sally,
I’m trying your recipe for the first time. I halved it for 1 crust but I think I added too much water. How can I fix this?
Hi Donna, you can try to carefully and gently work in more flour using your hands. How did it turn out?
Hi Sally! I followed your recipe perfectly but my pie crust shrank when baked. Is this because I didn’t have enough pie weights to fill the shell?? I only had enough to cover the bottom. Love your videos by the way, they help to understand everything!!
Hi Sheila, it sounds like you could use more pie weights as you mention. Be sure to line the crust with parchment, then fill the empty pie crust with the weights all the way to the top of the pie dish rim prior to baking to prevent excess shrinking. Dried beans also work if you don’t have enough pie weights. An easy fix for next time! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try.
Can I use your pie crust recipe for butter tarts???
Hi Lin, we can’t see why not! Feel free to use this crust recipe with a butter tarts recipe that you enjoy.
Hi. Sally! What if I don’t have vegetable shortening? What can I substitute with?
Hi Yaya, if you don’t have vegetable shortening available, we recommend using our all-butter pie crust instead!
Can I use a food processor to mix the dough?
Hi Jennifer, 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.
I have my dough in the fridge for the morning. It looked great. I only added 6 tablespoons of cold water because for some reason I was thinking of the butter measurement and you said 1/2 cup. Can I fix it. You said if you don’t add enough water it can be crumbly. Help!
Hi Jean, with only 6 tablespoons of water, it may be a bit dry and crumbly (there are 8 tablespoons in half a cup). Roll out very slowly and gently. If it’s cracking, moisten your fingertips with water and meld the dough back together as best you can. Hopefully that helps!
Your recipe for pie crust says 1-1/4 of salt. You said 1/2 teaspoonful of salt above if using salted butter. Correct. The only other question is that your video and recipe have different temperatures and cooking time is different. Do I go by your video. Help lol
Hi Jean, stick with the written recipe!
I’m trying this pie crust tonight. Wish me luck. Not the greatest crust maker. I bought salted butter instead of unsalted. Can I still make pie crust. I hope so.
Hi Jean, if using salted butter we would use about 1/2 teaspoon of salt instead of 1 teaspoon. Good luck and happy baking!
I’m about to try this. If I do before how early do I remove the crust from the fridge before rolling. I tried another recipe once and when I brought the ball out to roll it was very hard.
Hi Julie, we take the crust out just a few minutes before rolling. Rolling warms it up significantly, so we don’t want to wait too long and have super soft dough to roll. If it’s too hard right out of the refrigerator, let is sit for a few minutes and then give it another go. Let us know how you like this recipe!
just about to try your recipe. is sea salt ok?
Hi Megan, we use and recommend table salt.
Considering just using all butter for crust and not get shortening?? It will still be ok right? (insert worried face emoji)
You can use butter as a substitute, but butter will melt a lot faster in the oven, and make it not as flaky as if you used shortening and butter. But it will still work. Its a 1:1 ratio.