Pie Crust Recipe
A classic pie crust recipe that yields a tender, flaky pastry perfect for both sweet and savory pies. This easy-to-make dough uses simple ingredients and can be prepared by hand or with a food processor. Chilling the dough before baking ensures a relaxed gluten structure for a perfect crust every time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: Variable (depends on pie recipe)
- Total Time: 45 minutes (including chilling time, excluding pie baking)
- Yield: One 9-inch pie crust 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups (6 ½ oz/185 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons (3 ½ oz/100 g) cold butter, cubed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 – 3 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Stir them together until evenly mixed.
- Incorporate Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Alternatively, this step can be done in a food processor for convenience.
- Add Egg Yolk and Water: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Pour this mixture into the flour and butter mixture.
- Form Dough: Gently mix the ingredients together until the dough starts to come together. Use your hands to pull the dough and incorporate any remaining dry bits. If the dough feels too dry, cautiously add the remaining water tablespoon by tablespoon, avoiding making the dough too wet.
- Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough tightly in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This resting period allows the gluten to relax and makes the dough easier to roll.
- Use or Store: After chilling, roll out the dough for your pie recipe as directed. You can also store the wrapped dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze it for up to 8 weeks. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before use.
- Bake: Follow your pie recipe’s baking instructions for baking the pie crust once assembled.
Notes
- Be careful with adding water; too much can make the dough tough and sticky.
- Cold butter contributes to a flaky texture by creating small pockets of fat in the dough.
- Resting the dough in the refrigerator improves its texture by relaxing the gluten.
- Freezing dough extends its shelf life and preserves freshness.
- You can make this dough by hand or use a food processor to speed up the butter incorporation step.
- Powdered sugar adds a slight sweetness and tenderness to the crust, ideal for sweet pies.
Keywords: pie crust, pastry dough, baking, flaky pie crust, homemade pie dough, all-purpose flour, butter crust
Find it online: https://yumwithmia.com/pie-crust-recipe/
