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flakey pie crust dough in a pie tin
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5 from 3 votes

How to Make Perfect Pie Crust

This fool-proof recipe will teach you how to make flakey, buttery pie crust both in a food processor and by hand!
Prep Time30 minutes
Resting Time2 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, French
Servings: 2 9-inch disks
Calories: 352kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 c very cold butter
  • 1/2 c ice-cold water + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Food Processor Method:

  • Place the dry ingredients into the base of the food processor and pulse 3-4 times until combined. Next, add the cold butter and continue pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse, wet sand.
  • Next, add in the water/vinegar mixture and pulse 5-10 more times until the dough holds together when you press it together in the palm of your hand. Do not overprocess.
  • Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and use your hands to form a disk. Wrap the dough disk tightly in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the dough to hydrate and rest. After two hours of resting your dough is ready to use.

By Hand:

  • Put the butter in the freezer for ten minutes before starting. In the meantime place all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
  • Use a box grater to grate the frozen butter into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Then, use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour. Work quickly to keep the butter from melting. The mixture should resemble coarse, wet sand with some visible flecks of butter.
  • Next, pour the ice-water/vinegar over the flour mixture. Mix the dough together with your hands just until starts to hold together. It will still look a little dry, but resist the urge to keep kneading.
  • Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and use your hands to form a disk. Wrap the dough disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the dough to hydrate and rest. After two hours of resting your dough is ready to use.

Notes

Pre-Chill your ingredients, especially if it's warm in your kitchen! Throwing the ingredients (and even your mixing bowl or food processor blade) in the fridge for 10-15 minutes is one extra step to ensure your butter stays cold throughout the dough-making process.
It's all about the butter! For the best flavor, I use high-quality European butter. European butter has a higher fat content and less water than regular butter. Using a higher fat butter results in a tender, flakey pie crust.
Work Quickly
! In order to keep the butter and other ingredients cool you will want to make the dough as quickly as possible and get it back in the refrigerator to chill and rest.

Nutrition

Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 559mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1015IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 2mg