So many recipes and posts and cookbooks out there talk about how they have an easy flaky pie crust recipe, so I know you are skeptical. Because you’ve made pie crust and you’re not an expert and it was never as easy or as flaky as promised. Guess what? I’m not an expert pastry chef either! I love making pie so I’ve made LOTS of pie crust and there have been times when I’ve wished that pie crust wasn’t so darn fiddly. With this pie crust I finally have a recipe which is easy and is flaky and isn’t fiddly. It simply requires that you do everything differently.
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Looking for a sweet pastry crust for tarts?
Try pasta frolla!
My recipe is easy to make and
includes step-by-step instructions.
Over the years I’ve tried every sort of recipe on pie crust that I’ve seen, and they all make a pie when I’m done. But don’t get anything wrong or you’re in trouble! I’ve had my share of crusts which tore, cracked, got tough, or just wouldn’t come together.
Vinegar? Tried it. Egg? Tried it. (And I do like egg in a tart dough!) Vodka? Been there. All shortening? Grew up on that. By hand? Food processor? Butter and shortening? Yes, yes, yes! Beat the heck out of the dough? I still like that one – good for getting out aggressions and makes a great, homemade puff pastry.
But I would throw out every one of those crust recipes for this one! I discovered it on the Serious Eats site when I clicked on their recipe for Easy Pie Dough earlier this year and I am a convert. It’s flaky. It’s easy. And it overturns everything every other crust recipe gives as gospel.
This year don’t buy a premade supermarket crust and don’t make a fiddly ‘flakes of butter’ crust which turns into a mess if you get it warm. This year make my easy flaky pie crust. Perfect pie crust isn’t for pastry chefs anymore. It’s for anyone with a food processor.
Try it in a Sweet Potato Pie or an Apple Pie!
For more info on how this crust works: The Science of Pie Dough
1. Ingredients – flour (divided), sugar, salt, butter, water
Eight ounces of the flour is in my mixer and four and 1/2 ounces are in the bowl. I use my scale to measure all the flour into the bowl and then scoop out until I get to about 4 ounces left.
As for the sugar, only use that if you are making a sweet crust! I personally find it weird tasting when I’ve forgotten and added it to the crust for a savory dish.
2. Strew butter over flour
3. Pulse flour and butter until dough forms a ball and there is no dry flour
See how completely mixed that is? Don’t be afraid!
Get it all mixed in.
4. Spread out the dough and sprinkle the reserved flour over
5. Pulse in the new flour and break up the dough
6. Fold in the water with a spatula
The spatula is important! You want to fold and mix the water in and the flat side of the spatula is perfect for that.
And then when you’re done? Look at those smooth discs of dough. Like play-doh and as easy to form into shapes.
7. Form the dough into two discs
8. Roll out the dough on a well floured board
9. Transfer the crust to a pie plate and flute the edges
– Happy Pie Making, Annemarie
For this recipe I used the following:
Easy Flaky Pie Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 oz) all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 2 1/2 sticks (10 oz, 20 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
- 6 tbsp (3 oz) cold water
Instructions
- Measure out all the flour into a mixing bowl. Add 2/3 (about 8 oz) of the flour to the bowl of food processor.
- Add in the sugar and salt and pulse to combine.
- Lay out the butter evenly over the surface of the flour. Begin pulsing the flour and butter together. Continue until the flour and butter are completely combined and there is no dry flour in the processor and the dough has clumped up.
- Spread out the dough with a rubber spatula and then sprinkle the remaining flour over the top.
- Pulse just few times, 5-6 quick pulses, to break up the dough. Transfer the dough to a large bowl.
- Sprinkle the water over the dough and use the rubber spatula to fold and mix the water into the dough.
- Once the water is mixed in and the dough has become a cohesive ball, turn out the dough onto a well floured surface.
- Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
- After the dough has rested, use it in any recipe calling for one or two 9-inch pie crusts.
Sessia says
I made it on my mixer with the flat spatula mixer. And it came together beautifully. I loved how my coconut cream pie turned out. It was nice and flaky and toasty, just how I like it. Loved so much.
justalittlebitofbacon says
That coconut pie sounds yummy! And thanks for the info on the flat beater. I’ve never done it that way. 🙂
Rita Chartier says
Hi, I think you have a typo in your recipe, 2 1/2 cups of flour is 20 oz.
6 tablespoons of water isn’t enough for this much flour.
The butter however is the right amount for 2 1/2 cups.
Also 2/3 rds of the flour in the processor is closer to 14 oz. Adding more water helped.
justalittlebitofbacon says
20 oz? How do you get that? A cup of flour ranges from 4 1/4 to 5 oz. I used a 5 oz baseline (which you get using a scoop and sweep method of dipping the cup into the flour and sweeping off the excess). 5 + 5 + 2 1/2 = 12 1/2. 20 oz would be 4-5 cups of flour. I make this recipe regularly using the weights listed and it works every time.
justalittlebitofbacon says
Okay. My husband just clued me in what happened here. A cup of flour does not have the same weight as a cup of water. This is a dry weight not a liquid weight we talking about. Two completely different measures! If we had the metric system, we would not be having this discussion. 🙂 Please scoop out a cup of flour and weigh it and you will see that it does in fact weigh about 5 oz not 8 oz. I hope that helps!
Becky Callegan says
Hello and Happy Thanksgiving week! I am going to attempt your pie crust recipe. I wanted to see what are you thoughts on using almond, or another non-grain, flour instead of an all purpose?
Also do you think I could cut the recipe in half since I only need a bottom crust or should I make exact and store the other half for later use?
Thanks!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Hi! Happy Thanksgiving to you too. 🙂 I know people have used gf flour blends with good results, however I don’t know about using something like an almond flour. If you try it, please let me and my readers know if works. As for halving it, yes I have made half a recipe before (and also increased it by half for a 10 inch pie).
Natalie says
For those of us without a food processor, what would you suggest? Thanks.
justalittlebitofbacon says
I know people have used pastry cutters or their hands + a knife to cut up the butter. (Based on some of my pinterest reviews.) All you need is to get butter fully mixed with the flour and then cut in the extra flour and you’ll have great crust.
SongOfHope says
How long should it set out for after being in the fridge?
justalittlebitofbacon says
The dough should be pliable but not soft. Can you roll it fairly easily without it cracking? Then it’s ready. As for how long, it depends on how long you kept it in the fridge (a 2 hour rest usually means you can roll it almost immediately) and how cold your fridge and house are. Also, it will depend on the butter you used. I usually use a soft butter (KerryGold) so my dough is ready quicker than when I use a standard American butter (such as Land o Lakes). Just take it out and test it, feel how hard it is, and make your filling while it softens, checking every so often. I’m sorry I can’t give you a number of minutes, but I hope this helps.