Perfect Pie Crust
This classic pie crust recipe uses mostly butter for delicious flavor and flakiness, with just a bit of shortening to help it all stay together and look beautiful.
Servings 2 crusts
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (350g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled with a knife
- 2 tsp sugar (optional for sweet pies; omit altogether when making savory pie crusts)
- 1 tsp kosher or table salt
- 1/4 cup (46g) cold vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
- 10 tbsp (142g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup (2 to 4 oz) ice water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar (optional), and salt until combined. Cut the shortening in with a fork, a pastry cutter, or your fingers, until mixture is crumbly. Cut in half the chilled butter until crumbly again. Cut in the other half of the chilled butter and work in with your fingers until mixture is mealy and there are pea-sized lumps of butter. If using a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt briefly to combine. Add the shortening and pulse until integrated. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until mixture is mealy and butter has formed pea-sized lumps, usually about 8 to 10 pulses. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Slowly drizzle 4 tablespoons ice water into the flour mixture and gently mix it in. Keep drizzling in the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough starts to come together. When you are able to squeeze dough and have it just stick together stop adding water.
- Shape dough into a shaggy ball and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. For a standard, 9-inch double crust pie, cut the dough into two pieces with one larger than the other for the bottom crust. For single pie crusts, cut the dough in half. Shape both into discs, flatten, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Allow chilled dough to warm up for about 10 to 15 minutes before rolling out. Fill and bake according to recipe instructions.