Pies & Tarts

Foolproof Pie Crust

foolproof pie dough

A good pie starts with good pie crust. It’s gotta be flaky and it’s gotta be delicious. I also don’t want to make any special trips to the store, for let’s say, vodka (not usually something I have in-house, I’m crazy enough without alcohol, ok), so it’s gotta be using ingredients I already have on hand.

Which is why this recipe is my go-to for pie crust. It’s never failed me and in my eyes, it’s foolproof! It uses butter and shortening. The combo of those two makes for a super delicious, flaky texture! As I’m sure many of you know, keeping your ingredients cool, and not overworking your dough is very important. This will help produce that lovely texture I was talking about.

And what’s great about pie dough is you can make a shit ton and freeze it. Whenever you need some, just let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours on your counter and you’re good to go! Easy as pie.

The following recipes are for single and double-crust 9-inch pies. I’ll be honest with you, I bake more galettes than pies. So I only need a single crust. But if I’m gonna go through the hassle of making pie crust in the first place, I’ll make a double crust, use one and freeze the other. Bingo bango.

So there you have it, foolproof, easy pie dough using simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. Yee-haw!

Foolproof Pie Crust

Print Recipe
Serves: single & double-crust 9-inch pies

Ingredients

  • Single-Crust Pie Dough
  • 1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus extra for the work surface
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
  • 4-6 tablespoons ice water
  • Double-Crust Pie Dough
  • 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus extra for the work surface
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch piece and chilled
  • 6-8 tablespoons ice water

Instructions

1

Process the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor, or whisk by hand, until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top and process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 10 seconds. You can also do this with a pastry cutter, or by hand. Scatter the butter pieces of the top and pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbles, about 10 pulses. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

2

Sprinkle either 4 tablespoons ice water for a single-crust or 6 tablespoons ice water for a double-crust, over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula, until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does.

3

If making a double-crust, divide the dough into two even pieces. Turn each piece of dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (or freeze). Before rolling the dough out, let it sit on the counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes.

Notes

Recipe from America's Test Kitchen.

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