Homemade Pie Crust

Our favorite Homemade Pie Crust is tender, flaky and absolute perfection. This recipe is easy to follow and makes the best pie dough every time. Learn all my foolproof tips and tricks and you'll see that making pie crust from scratch really is so simple.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 0

chill time 2

Total Time 2 20

Servings servings

Calories 199

Author Kim

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt**
1/2 cup shortening chilled
4 to 5 tablespoons water very cold (I use ice water)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the shortening and mix with a pastry cutter (the one I own) or fork until the dough is crumbly.
Add in 3 tablespoons of very cold water and mix with a fork (not the pastry blender, if you used it on the previous step) until the dough is moist and comes together. Add more cold water a few drops at a time, if needed. Do not add any more water than you need to. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. Be careful not to add too much water or the dough will be sticky and difficult to roll out.
Gather the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, up to 4 hours is even better.
When you're ready to make your pie, lay out wax paper and sprinkle a bit of flour over it to roll out the dough on. This will allow you to simply lift the wax paper up and flip it onto the pie dish. It makes it very easy and you often avoid ripped crust! I’ve found that slightly wetting the countertop before laying the wax paper down, then flouring the wax paper surface creates the best area for rolling. The water helps hold the wax paper down, and the flour will keep the dough from attaching to the wax paper.
Using a rolling pin, start rolling from the center and work your way out. Sprinkle a little flour over the top of the dough and on your rolling pin if the dough is too moist and sticks to your rolling pin. Roll out the dough to fit in your pie plate. For example, if you're using a 10-inch pie plate, roll out the dough about 12 inches in diameter to allow for enough dough to go up the sides of the pie plate. Slide your wax paper over to your pie dish and in one quick motion flip the crust onto the dish. You can also lay the pie dish over the dough and then flip. Press in gently.
With a small and sharp knife, trim the extra overhang of crust and discard. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute the edges with your fingers, if desired. Use a fork to poke holes in the crust if the type of pie you are making requires a pre-baked crust. Proceed with the pie per your pie recipe instructions.

Notes

*Makes 1 layer of pie crust. If you need a double pie crust, double this recipe.

**Salt. Use regular table salt. If you must use kosher salt, use 1 teaspoon.

***Make Ahead & Freezing. Prepare the pie dough through step 3 and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze the ball of dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in your pie recipe.

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