Get step-by-step directions on how to make pie crust as, 3 essential tips for making any pie crust recipe a success, and an amazing pie crust recipe!
Learning how to make pie crust isn’t hard – it’s something everyone can do and it takes no time at all! In all honesty, setting up to take photos of this process took way longer than actually making the pie crust. Ha! Instead of purchasing pie crust this holiday season, make your own! It will change your life. Promise.
I like an all-butter pie crust because one of the mantras of my life is “when you have to choose between 100% butter or anything less, you always choose 100% butter.” My life mantras usually revolve around food. Ahem. I took step by step photos for this post {over 15!} to make sure you have all the information you need to successfully make perfect pie crust! Let’s dive in.
How to Make Pie Crust: Tip 1
First, you need to prep your ingredients. Start by preparing the butter and water. I fill a 2 cup measure halfway with ice and then top it off with water and put it in the fridge. For the butter, I cut it into cubes about 1/2 inch square, pile them into a bowl and then put the bowl in the freezer. The first tip for how to make pie crust is to keep the ingredients very cold. Even if you’re using shortening, stick that in the freezer too.
Leave the butter in the freezer for about 10 minutes. I usually measure out and combine all my dry ingredients while I’m waiting. As a side note, I made double the recipe here, which is why that looks like a pound of butter. Cuz it is.
How to Make Pie Crust: Tip 2
Next, you’re going to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. I like to do this by hand, but you can, of course, use a food processor to make it go a little faster. When you start, you’ll question if it’s ever going to come together.
About the time you start questioning your arm strength and decide you need to up those arm workouts, it will start to look like this:
Keep going, you’re almost there! The goal is to cut the butter in until it looks to be the size of peas, like this. There will be some larger and some smaller pieces, you’re going for an average here.
Now, it’s time to add your wet ingredients. Regardless of the recipe you use, you’ll want to keep them cold. I use sour cream in my recipe so I leave that in the fridge until I’m ready to add it. To make it mix in a little easier, I dilute it with a tablespoon or so of the ice water. Do not add too much water during this step, just a tablespoon will do.
After I add the sour cream dilution, add the ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough just barely starts to come together.
It will be a cold shaggy mess at this point and when you dump it onto the counter, it will fall apart and there will be dry crumbs. Don’t panic! That’s what is supposed to happen. The second tip for how to make pie crust is to not add too much water. Add just the right amount for the dough to come together.
How to Make Pie Crust: Tip 3
Flour your surface and work it together briefly with your hands until it makes a semi-smooth ball. Divide this recipe into two pieces for two pie crusts {again, I had four because I doubled the recipe}.
Next, it’s time to roll out the dough. If your dough doesn’t feel cold to the touch, stick it in the freezer for 10 more minutes before rolling it out.
You want to keep the butter in the dough cold, this is what gives pie crust a flaky texture. You should be able to see the pea-sized pieces of butter in the dough when you roll it out.
Roll out the dough into a circle 12 inches across. Or roughly that. Fun fact: most bench scrapers are 6 inches long, so just use that to measure! As you roll, rotate the dough 90 degrees after each pass with the rolling pin. This keeps it from sticking.
Then, you’ll need to transfer your dough to the pie plate. Just place the rolling pin on top of the dough and gently fold it over the pin.
Then just pick up the pin and roll it out into the pie plate. Easy as…pie!
Gently lift the edges of the dough and help it settle down into the bottom of the plate. Once you have it down in the crease of the plate, just fold under the excess that’s hanging off the edges. Now, if you rolled the dough a little large and there is a lot of excess, you’ll need to trim it. But if you rolled it to about 12 inches, there should just be a small amount that will fold under easily.
If I have a section with a lot of excess, I’ll relocate it to a portion of the crust with less. If you try to fold it under and you have way too much excess, the edge of the crust will be too heavy and it will literally melt off your pie as you bake it. Ask me how I know….
Then just design the edge however you choose. I did a classic ruffle here. You don’t want to over-handle the dough. Not only does this warm it up, it works the flour more which can make your pie crust tough and cause it to shrink. The third tip for how to make pie crust is to handle the dough as little as possible.
Then you’re done! Stick it in the fridge while you make whatever filling you’re using – it will bake up better if you fill it when it’s cold. Here’s my recipe! But if you apply these tips to any pie dough recipe you have, it will turn out great. Know you know just how to make pie crust.
Need some delicious pie recipes?? How about my savory Chicken Pot Pie? Or maybe a delicious dessert pie like this Easy Blackberry Pie or French Silk Pie!
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How to Make Pie Crust
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks, very cold
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/2 cup water, ice cold add it gradually, you may not use it all
Instructions
- Cut butter into slices and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Whisk together dry ingredients.
- Cut butter into dry ingredients until it is the size of peas.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of the ice water into the sour cream. Drizzle into the dough.
- Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing gradually, until the dough just starts to come together.
- Turn it onto a floured surface and gently bring it together with your hands. It shouldn't be falling apart, if it is, add another tablespoon of water. Do not over-work the dough!
- Divide it into two portions and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
Alli says
My favorite pie crust recipe!