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Perfect Pie Crust
5 from 33 votes

Perfect Pie Crust

Perfect Pie Crust produces a flaky and tender pastry base ideal for pies. It combines chilled butter and shortening cut into all-purpose flour and salt, with ice water added gradually to form a cohesive dough. Chilling the dough before rolling helps keep the fats cold, ensuring a crisp texture after baking. Rolling the dough to allow for extra overhang accommodates fitting it into a pie pan without shrinking. This crust provides a reliable foundation for sweet or savory pies where a flaky crust is preferred.

Prep Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 140 kcal
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: French-American Fusion

Ingredients

  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting your work surface
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoon butter chilled and cut into ½" cubes, unsalted
  • 2 tablespoon shortening chilled and cut into ½" cubes
  • 5 - 6 tablespoon water ice

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Using a dry ingredient measuring cup, add the flour to a food processor fitted with a metal blade
  2. Add the salt and then the chilled butter and shortening.  Secure the lid onto the food processor. 
  3. Cut the fat into the flour by pulsing 7 or 8 times.  The butter should resemble small frozen peas. 
  4. Through the tube of the food processor, add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until a ball forms.  Immediately stop processing. 
  5. Remove the dough from the processor and using your thumbs, for a disc.
  6. Enclose the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 
  7. On a lightly floured counter/surface, place the dough.  Try not to handle the dough too much, to prevent the butter pieces from melting. 
  8. You'll need to roll out the dough to about 3 to 4 inches greater than the inside diameter of the pan. (i.e., if you have 9-inch pie pan, roll the crust to a 12 - 13-inch diameter.)
  9. Try and roll the dough out in as few 'rolls' as possible. Repeated rolling will overwork the dough, and will yield less flakey crust.
  10. To transfer the dough to the pan, fold one half over, then fold over again into a quarter. Gently place into pie pan and then unfold the dough. Trim the edges with scissors.
  11. Use your fingers to flute the edges.  Your pie dough is now ready for baking!

Notes

  • Chill the dough for at least one hour before rolling to maintain flakiness.
  • Prepare the dough up to several days ahead; keep it wrapped in the refrigerator.
  • For longer storage, freeze the dough for 2 to 3 months and thaw fully before use.
  • Roll the dough carefully with minimal passes to avoid warming the fat.
  • Roll the dough about 3 to 4 inches larger than your pie pan diameter for proper fit.
  • This recipe yields enough for one bottom crust in a 9-inch pie pan.

Nutrition Information

Calories 140kcal (7%) Carbohydrates 1g (0%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 16g (25%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Cholesterol 31mg (10%) Sodium 100mg (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 355IU (7%) Calcium 3mg (0%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 140

% Daily Value*

Calories 140kcal 7%
Carbohydrates 1g 0%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 100mg 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 355IU 7%
Calcium 3mg 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.