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Buttery, flaky homemade pie crust made with just four ingredients! This is my go-to recipe for every single pie that I make.
Confession time: growing up, I always used the premade frozen pie shells.
Even though I had never tried making pie dough at home, I had this innate fear of giving it a try. I always thought it would be so difficult to make, but I couldn't have been more wrong.
Nowadays, I make all my pie dough from scratch, and it's really a simple process—all you need are four ingredients and a few tricks up your sleeve. Plus, it tastes that much better when you make it yourself.
So, without further ado, let me show you how to make homemade pie crust!
Tips for Making Homemade Pie Crust
Here are a few tips to get perfect pie crust every time:
- Use a pastry cutter for the best results. When cutting the butter into the dry ingredients, I prefer to use a handheld pastry cutter. It helps evenly distribute the butter and get the butter down to that perfect size.
- Start with less water and add more gradually. The amount of water that you need for your pie dough varies depending on where you live, the humidity, etc. I recommend starting with ½ cup of water, and if the dough isn't hydrated enough, add in a bit more water a tablespoon at a time.
- The fridge is your friend. When making pie crust, it's always good to chill the dough more than you think is necessary. I chill my dough for at least two hours after making it, and I always chill pie crusts in the pan before baking them. This helps the gluten relax and prevents any shrinkage in the oven.
Homemade Pie Crust FAQ
Homemade pie crust could not be more simple to make, and it only requires four basic ingredients: flour, salt, water, and butter.
Ice water helps keep the pie crust flaky by keeping the fat cold. That way, when the pie crust hits the heat of the oven, the butter melts and creates those tender, flaky layers.
Definitely! You can keep this pie crust in the fridge for up to two days, and you can even freeze it for up to two months. I love to make my pie crust ahead of time to make my life just a little bit easier later.
Yes—you can freeze the pie crust for up to two months. Before using the frozen pastry dough, simply transfer it from the freezer to the fridge the night before to let it thaw before using it. If desired, you can also freeze pie crusts directly in the pan—just make sure to wrap the pie crust well to avoid any freezer burn.
Make sure to generously flour your work station and rolling pin when rolling the dough out. I recommend rolling once, rotating the dough, then continuing the process to keep the dough from sticking to the surface.
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Easy Homemade Pie Crust
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 pie crusts 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Buttery, flaky homemade pie crust made with just four ingredients! This is my go-to recipe for every single pie that I make.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (300 g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (3 g)
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed (226 g)
- ½ cup ice water (118 g)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt.
- Then, use a pastry cutter to cut in the cold unsalted butter until it is lentil-sized—you still want some small chunks of butter to be visible. (If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can also do this using a food processor.)
- Pour in the ice water (just the water—no ice!) and mix until just combined. If the dough is still crumbly, add in more water a tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together but is not overly sticky to the touch.
- Form the dough into two equal-sized disks and wrap each one individually with plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least two hours or up to two days. You can also freeze the pie dough for up to two months.
- At this point, you can use the pie crust in any recipe as needed. Each crust will be large enough for a 9-inch pie pan.
Notes
- If you have some flakes of butter in the dough, don't be worried! That is completely normal, and when the butter melts in the oven, it will create that beautiful, flaky taste.
- You can freeze the pie dough for up to 2 months. When you'd like to use it, simply thaw in the fridge overnight before using in any recipe.
Keywords: pie crust, homemade pie crust, pie
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