This Pie Crust Recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make and beats the bought stuff in every way. Flaky and buttery, it makes the best pies!
Video Recipe
Watch the video below for How to Make Pie Crust
Perfect Pie Crust
Whether you’re making apple pie, pumpkin pie, chicken pot pie or pecan pie this recipe will work perfectly. It’s flaky and crumbly like a good pie crust should be while also being buttery and incredibly flavorful.
There’s nothing quite like a made from scratch homemade pie, the love and time adds to the flavor!
How to Make the Perfect Pie Crust
Pie Crust is actually pretty simple in its ingredients, it’s the technique that’s truely important. So let me share with you how to get the most perfect pie crust!
Pie Crust Recipe Ingredients
1 2/3 Cup / 200g Flour –Use all purpose standard flour for this recipe.
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Sugar (optional) –2-3 Tbsp of sugar can be added to this pie crust if you are using it to make a sweet pie. If you are making a savoury pie leave it out.
1 Stick / 113g Butter –Make sure your butter is cold from the fridge for this recipe.
2-3 Tbsp Ice Water –Fill a small bowl with a few ice cubes and half a cup of water before you start this recipe.
How to Make Perfect Pie Crust
Remove your butter from the fridge and make your ice water.
Measure out the flour, salt and sugar if using into a medium sized mixing bowl. Give the ingredients a quick mix to combine.
Take your butter and cut it into small cubes. This makes it easier to incorporate into the flour.
Add the butter to the dry ingredients.
Use your finger tips or a pastry cutter to press the cold butter into the flour. This is why it’s so important you have cold butter so it doesn’t melt.
Stop when the butter is about the size of a pea, you don’t it to be completely incorporated. This will help with your pastry being flaky.
Pour a couple tablespoon of ice water into the bowl and use a knife to cut through the dough and mix.
Check the consistency and if the pie dough will clump and hold together you don’t need any more water.
If it doesn’t hold together add another 1/2 Tbsp of ice water and mix and check again.
Tip the pie dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 20 seconds, just to incorporate any loss bits.
Wrap in plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest before using.
Common Questions about this Pie Crust Recipe
How much will this recipe make?
This recipe will make enough for a 9″ pie. If you are making a pie with a top piece of pastry make sure to double the recipe.
Can I use shortening in this recipe?
Yes you can but I think butter gives a better flavor. If you would like to use shortening I would recommend to use half of each.
For Pie Recipes to use this Pie Crust Check Out:
Apple Pie Recipe
Pecan Pie Recipe
Spinach and Bacon Quiche
Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Flaky Buttery Pie Crust Recipe
This Pie Crust Recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make and beats the bought stuff in every way. Flaky and buttery, it makes the best pies!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Rest Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 Cup Flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3 Tbsp Sugar optional
- 1 Stick Butter
- 2-3 Tbsp Ice Water
Instructions
Add the flour, salt and sugar if using to a large mixing bowl.
Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the mixing bowl.
Use clean dry hands to rub the butter into the flour until it is about the size of a pea.
Spoon in a few tablespoons of ice water and mix the pastry with a knife.
Form the dough into a ball and knead for 30 seconds on a floured surface until smooth.
Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest.
When you are ready to roll out the pastry, remove it from the fridge and leave for 5-10 minutes to warm up before rolling out.
Place the pastry back in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before baking at 200 C | 400 F
Notes
Butter can be replaced with shortening or lard.
After kneading the pastry can be placed in the fridge for a week or freezer for 3 months.
FAQs
Puff pastry can generally be described as flaky, light and buttery, good for pies and pastries, while shortcrust pastry has a more crumbly, biscuit-like texture which is good for tart or quiche cases.
What is the difference between shortcrust pastry and pie crust? ›
Shortcrust pastry dough is a type of pie crust. Known as pâte brisée in French, it doesn't include leavening agents and (usually) no sugar. It's flaky and crispy rather than puffy once baked. The most often used type of pastry, it's good for both sweet and savory recipes.
Can I use shortcrust pastry instead of puff pastry? ›
Both pastries are fantastic for making delicious pies - but I would always recommend using shortcrust for your pastry bottom, and puff or rough puff for the top. This will give you a nice crisp bottom which is sturdy enough to hold a filling as well as a lovely flaky top which has the wow factor!
Does butter or shortening make a flakier crust? ›
Butter for flakiness and flavor, and shortening for its high melting point and ability to help the crust hold shape. You can use butter-flavor shortening if desired. If you want to skip the shortening, feel free to try this all-butter pie crust instead.
What is the secret of good shortcrust pastry? ›
Tips for working with shortcrust pastry
- Don't overwork the dough. Roll and handle shortcrust pastry as little as possible as overworking it can produce tough and unpleasant results.
- Use a metal tart tin. ...
- Don't stretch. ...
- Repair tears. ...
- Allow a little overhang. ...
- Rest. ...
- Bake it blind. ...
- Watch the colour.
butter plays an essential role for producing the perfect flake During cooking, each layer of butter waterproofs the layers of pastry; the water in each layer of pastry boils off as steam and, to escape, the steam causes each layer of pastry to rise and then dry to become a fine crusty flake.
What do Americans call shortcrust pastry? ›
While the term "shortcrust pastry" is widely used in the UK and other parts of the world, Americans have embraced the term "pie crust" to describe this beloved pastry dough, reflecting its primary use in classic American pies.
What is shortcrust pastry in USA? ›
Shortcrust pastry is a French-style dough with a crumbly, biscuit-like texture. This style of dough is "short" because the amount of flour is usually double the amount of fat, allowing it to break apart more easily than American-style pie dough (a closer ratio of flour to fat).
What is the French equivalent of shortcrust pastry? ›
Pâte brisée is the French version of classic pie or tart pastry. In English, it's also known as short or shortcrust pastry and is a versatile all-butter dough we use for both sweet and savory recipes—everything from apple pie to quiche.
What is the best ready made shortcrust pastry? ›
Chilled Shortcrust Pastry Sheet
Easy to use ready rolled Jus-Rol Shortcrust Pastry Sheets are great for topping, wrapping or filling with your favourite ingredients. No need for a rolling pin as this sheet is ready to use and even comes complete with baking paper so you can pop it straight into the oven.
Chilled uncooked shortcrust pastry sheet. Jus-Rol Chilled pastry sheets are ready rolled, so you can use them straightaway. Shortcrust, puff, filo: all the pastry types you need to create sausage rolls or mince pies. Jus-Rol pastry sheets and blocks make it easy for you to bake.
Do you need to Prebake shortcrust pastry? ›
Do I need to blind bake pastry cases when cooking with wet fillings? As a general rule, you do need to blind bake when cooking a dish with wet fillings. For example, if you're making a quiche or frangipane, blind baking the crust first will help ensure the pastry case stays buttery and retains its crunch.
What makes the flakiest pie crust butter or shortening? ›
The pros: Butter has the best flavor. A butter pie crust forms light, lofty, flaky layers while it bakes. The flakiness comes partially from the water content of butter, which evaporates as the pie bakes and turns to steam, separating and puffing up the layers in dough.
Which fat makes the most flaky pastry? ›
This time, though, there was one very clear victor. Butter made a tastier, flakier, sturdier crust by far.
What is a flaky pastry called? ›
Flaky pastry, also known as quick pastry, blitz pastry or rough puff, is a light and thin unleavened pastry that is similar to, but distinct from, puff pastry.
What is a flaky pastry? ›
/ˌfleɪ.ki ˈpeɪ.stri/ a type of pastry that forms thin light layers when it is baked.
How is flaky pastry different? ›
laky pastry is a layered pastry dough similar to puff pastry but it contains less fat and fewer layers. Typical flaky pastry has a fat-to-flour ratio of 3:4 and is rolled and folded only four times. Traditionally, lard and butter were used in flaky pastry preparation.
