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.
Keywords: pie crust
Will self-rising flour work for this recipe?
Hi Sadie, we do not recommend self rising flour, as it contains leavening that is not necessary in this recipe. It’s best to stick with all-purpose flour here.
I am going to make this today for your chicken pot pie recipe. Just one question-I am using a glass baking pan, do I need to grease the pan prior to putting pie crust dough in/
★★★★★
Hi Mimi, no need to grease the pan. Enjoy!
I haven’t made yet, but I plan on making. After doing some research, I will sub out the vegetable shortening for ghee. I try to be seed-oil free. Ghee also doesn’t contain water so I’m curious to see how it turns out. After some research, it seems like it may be slightly greasier but still hold well and bold-flavored. Sally you should look into a butter and ghee pie crust instead of shortening if you’re curious to experiment!
Hi Hali, we haven’t tested a pie crust with ghee, so it may take some tinkering as you mention, but let us know what you try!
Hi, thanks for the great recipe. It would be so helpful if you would please include what oven temperature you bake the pie at. Having all the information for quick reference is so incredibly helpful. For other baker’s the oven temperature is 375 degrees. I hope this helps someone else. This recipe looks great. Looking forward to using this recipe moving forward.
Hi Andrea, the temperature depends on the pie you are baking, as fillings require different oven temperatures. Are you looking to par-bake the crust? If so, I have a recipe for that and it’s best to bake it at 375°F (190°C).
Glad to see that others used 375F cuz that’s what I guessed. One thing I’ve had trouble with in the past was getting my parchment and weights out of the crust without spilling. Today I cit my paper wider then sliced the edges long enough that the disc fit very precisely into the pan/crust and this made it possible to push the weights away from the center before baking. There are still weights in the center but deeper on the sides so the crust can’t fall in even if it wanted to.
Hi- just wondering which rack you recommend baking the tarts on? Thanks!
Hi Dana, we recommend that your oven rack is adjusted to the lower third of your oven.
I love this it’s my go to pie dough recipe! I’m wondering though if there is a reusable solution for wrapping it in Saran Wrap?
Hi Lisl, beeswax wrap can work as well!
The recipe worked perfectly, and your notes were SO helpful. Thank you!
★★★★★
I’m so excited to make this! I was wondering if this is diabetic friendly? There’s no sugar, but I also am not fully well-versed in the condition! I’m baking for a family that I’m very close to and they’re having a guest down who’s diabetic and I don’t want them to feel left out!
Hi Izabella, we do not have any experience in baking diabetic-friendly recipes either, so we’re unsure if any/what modifications would be needed to fit the needs of your group. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated to be diabetic-friendly. Thank you!
How many grams will be in each ball of dough? Love the recipe! I’m doubling it, and want to make sure each crust is equal.
Hi Suzie, you should have about 1 lb, 8 ounces dough total (about 680g)–so 340g per ball of dough. Hope this helps!
I eyeballed portions, then weighed and adjusted as needed. I LOVE my cheep-cheep little kitchen scale.
Thank you for all the great tips! Do you use an egg wash on the dough before baking?
Hi Vicki! Yes, we usually egg wash the top crust for color and shine.
This recipe worked great for me. I used aluminum foil to make shields and placed them on the pie from the start rather than part way through baking. The only problem had nothing to do with this recipe because it happens every time I make apple pie. I put 4 slits in the upper crust prior to putting in the oven and the filling still spilled onto the oven floor. As usual, the house filled with smoke and the alarms went off. The pies looked and tasted great. What am I doing wrong?
Suggestions: put a baking sheet lined with foil below the pie. Use less filling
I’m planning on making your lemon meringue pie recipe. What do you think of me making the dough, then chilling it overnight, then making the crust, then chilling the two crusts overnight after gently covering with plastic wrap? It would be easier to have a much done before making the pies for Christmas Eve dinner.
Hi Shaun, yes, you can definitely do that! Hope the pies turn out beautifully for you.
Sally, I don’t see what size pie plates I should use. I have 9, 10, 11. I know you said it makes 2 crusts. Would it work for 1 eleven inch?
★★★★★
Hi Macky, this dough fits a 9 or 9.5-inch pie dish. You could skip dividing the dough in half and roll it out for an 11-inch pie dish but you will definitely have too much dough. You could always divide the dough and have 1 of the halves be a little larger, to fit the 11-inch nicely.
I just made this pie crust. I don’t have vegetable shortening so I used coconut oil, the consistency is very similar and the fats are healthier. I also realized my glass pie dish is at my son’s house, so I used a 9” cake pan. It turned out really nice, smooth texture and golden light in color.
I have never made a homemade pie crust, it looked so difficult and time-consuming that it didn’t seem worth it. I decided to make my husband happy and give homemade a try just once and this was fabulous! I had no problems at all with making it, rolling it out, or not flinging flour all over the kitchen as I’ve seen my husband do. I used it with 2 different 1-crust pies and it held up beautifully to both pecan and pumpkin fillings. This is definitely a lifetime “keeper.”
★★★★★
At what temperature do we bake the empty pie shell? Thank you!
Hi Barbara, Here is our post on how to par-bake pie crust.
I am making a coconut custard pie, and the filling is liquid when it goes into the crust. I have always used a store bought pre-made pie crust and I just pour it in and bake. Should I par-bake this crust before putting my filling in or should it be fine to just pour it in and bake as usual?
Hi Erin, you can par-bake the bottom crust if you think the filling is too liquid-y.
I found that if I need a really ‘strong’ bottom crust, I get an egg beaten while the crust is par-baking and immediately after removing the weights, brush a very light wash of egg. The retained heat sets the egg and you just fill and bake normally.
Every word perfectly crafted for the novice baker with HIGH expectations. Greatly appreciate the spectacular images to help clarify each step of the recipe. Thank you.
★★★★★
I love the pie dough recipe so much! I made pies growing up – a lot of them- we had a big family- this recipe is sort of the same – but you add butter!!!!
This recipe looks great and I appreciate your detailed instructions! I am about to try it for a lattice top on a chicken pot pie. Could you venture a guess on how long I would need to bake that. It will be a 9×13 Thanks in advance!
Thanks for the very explicit directions, explanations, and photos! What does “coarse meal” look like, anyways? A tender yet flaky product. Could I substitute whole-wheat pastry flour for part of the white all-purpose flour?
★★★★★
Hi Catherine, you absolutely can, and I often do. I usually only replace about 1/2 to 1 cup of the all-purpose with whole wheat. (Around 65-125g).
Can nutiva shortening made from red palm and coconut oils be substituted for vegetable shortening in the pie crust recipe?
Hi Lynne, we haven’t tested that particular shortening but let us know if you do!
I used Nutiva palm shortening made with coconut oil and red palm using the exact measurements in the recipe for the vegetable shortening. The pie crusts turned out quite nice. Next time ill try the recipe with vegetable shortening I just didn’t have any in my pantry.
Hello, I’m a novice baker and have used this recipe for pie crust numerous times and generally speaking it has been great. Recently, (Last 2 attempts) I have utilized the metric grams amounts listed in this recipe and my final recipe was considerably smaller (by about 50g)than the total of 680g that I should come up with. On the first run I was definitely on the smaller side with the crusts. On the second run I simply added about 35-40g more flour. My question: are the metric amounts simply conversions from what the English cup measurements or have these amounts actually been verified? Utilizing a computer conversion tool, 2.5 cups of flour is equal to 360grams. Love the blog and it has really helped me enter into a realm of cooking that I’ve always steered clear of.
Hi Jefe, I’m just seeing your question now. I consistently measure 1 cup of spooned and leveled all-purpose flour as 125g, and 2 and 1/2 is about 312 and I round up to 315g when making this dough. The recipe has been tested with these gram measurements. It’s OK to add more flour to get a workable dough. I’m glad my website has been helpful to you!
This is the only pie crust recipe I use. Always fabulous. Never fails to impress
OK, so I come from three generations of cooks/bakers/pie makers and we’ve always just used Crisco. this year for Thanksgiving I got a wild hair and thought I’d try something different. This recipe was the absolute BOMB and one of the best crusts I’ve ever made in my 68 years. (Oh, and I also made your apple pie and it was similarly fantastic)!
★★★★★
After reading through the instructions several times, carefully measuring out the ingredients, and following these instructions exactly, I made 2 amazing pies and 3 quiches this weekend (my first time attempting pie crust). Thank you for all the wonderful recipes and instructions on this site. I’ve learned so much from Sally’s baking addiction. Thank you!
★★★★★
What adjustments could I make for a 9.5 inch pie tin?
Hi Sandra, this should work just fine as written for a 9.5-inch pan.
I had to leave a comment because this pie crust turned out absolutely amazing. It was the first time I’ve ever made my own pie crust and I’ll definitely always be doing it now. I used it to make your caramel apple pie for Thanksgiving and it was a massive hit. Several people commented on how good the crust was.
★★★★★
One of the two worst pie crust recipes I’ve ever used and I’ve been baking pies for fifty years. Followed directions meticulously. Going back to my Mother’s recipe. Should never had doubed Mom’s expertise!
I also was disappointed with the results – the crust was hard. I think all the handling made it tough. I will go back to my old recipe as well where there is minimal working on the dough after butter and flour has been mixed.
I’m surprised at your results. I just followed the recipe (except that I always add a generous teaspoon to the ice water for any recipe I use) and mixed as little as possible getting up those sneaky areas of flour at the bottom of the bowl with a table knife. Use my hands as little as possible and keep everything cold as possible with all recipes.
This was the best crust recipe I have made in my 40 yrs of making pies. This will always be my go to for any crust. The only thing different I did was use vegan butter instead of dairy butter, because of food allergies to dairy. The way this recipe was detailed in making the crust was also of extreme help. The pictures gave me the visual I needed to know how the dough should look in all stages.
★★★★★