Marry This Perfect Pie Crust Recipe is a flaky and buttery recipe, which uses both cold butter and shortening. It’s a classic, foolproof recipe, ready in about 15 minutes, plus chilling time.
Jump to RecipePerfect Pie Crust Recipe Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold salted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 large egg
- 4 Tbsp. ice water, plus more as needed
- 1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
How To Make Perfect Pie Crust Recipe
- Combine fats and flour: In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Add the cold shortening and butter. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add wet ingredients: In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Pour it into the flour mixture, then add the ice water and vinegar. Stir gently with a fork until the dough just comes together and holds its shape when pinched.
- Divide and chill dough: Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form each into a ball, place in a large zip-top bag, and flatten into a 1/2-inch thick disk. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Roll out the dough: When ready to use, remove one disk from the freezer. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough into a round that is approximately 2 inches larger than your pie plate, working from the center outwards.
- Transfer dough to pie plate: Gently lift the dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, allowing it to settle into the corners without stretching. Trim the excess dough, leaving about a 1-inch overhang.
- Finish the crust: For a single-crust pie, tuck the overhang under itself to create a clean edge, then crimp as desired. For a double-crust pie, fill the bottom crust, then top with the second rolled-out dough, trim, and crimp the edges to seal.
Recipe Tips
- How to get a flaky crust? The absolute key is to use very cold ingredients. Cold butter and shortening create steam pockets when they melt in the oven, which is what produces those delicious, flaky layers.
- Why use both butter and shortening? This combination gives you the best of both worlds: butter provides rich flavor, while shortening provides a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture and makes the dough easier to handle.
- Can I make this dough ahead of time? Yes, this dough is perfect for making ahead. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- How to prevent the crust from shrinking? Avoid stretching the dough when you place it in the pie pan. Let it settle naturally into the corners. Stretching the dough will cause it to pull back and shrink during baking.
How To Use This Pie Crust
This versatile, all-purpose crust is the perfect base for any sweet or savory pie.
- Sweet Pies: Apple, Cherry, Pumpkin, or Lemon Meringue
- Savory Pies: Chicken Pot Pie, Quiche, or a meat pie
How To Store Pie Dough
- Refrigerate: Wrap the dough disks tightly in plastic wrap or place them in a sealed bag. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Freeze: For longer storage, place the sealed bags of dough in the freezer. It will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours or on the counter for about an hour before rolling.
Pie Crust Nutrition Facts
- Serving: 1 slice (1/8 of a double-crust pie)
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Protein: 5g
- Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 1g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
A tough crust is usually the result of overworking the dough. Mix the ingredients only until they just come together. Over-mixing develops the gluten in the flour, making the final crust hard instead of tender.
Yes, you can substitute the shortening with an equal amount of cold butter. An all-butter crust will have a fantastic flavor but may be slightly less tender and more difficult to handle than a crust made with a combination of fats.
A pastry cutter (or pastry blender) is a tool with several parallel blades or wires used to “cut” cold fat into flour. If you don’t have one, you can use two knives in a crisscross motion, your fingertips, or pulse the ingredients a few times in a food processor.
Try More Recipes:
Perfect Pie Crust Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy1
servings30
minutes45
minutes410
kcalA classic, foolproof recipe for a flaky, buttery, and tender pie crust using a combination of butter and shortening for the best flavor and texture.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, in pieces
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold salted butter, in pieces
1 large egg
4 Tbsp. ice water
1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
Directions
- Work cold butter and shortening into the flour and salt mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in a beaten egg, ice water, and vinegar until the dough just comes together.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten into disks, and chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
- On a floured surface, roll out one disk to fit a 9-inch pie pan.
- Fill the pie as desired and top with the second rolled-out crust, or finish the edges for a single-crust pie.
Notes
- All fats and liquids must be very cold for the flakiest possible crust.
- Do not overwork the dough, as this will result in a tough crust.
- Let the dough rest in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before rolling; this makes it easier to handle and helps prevent shrinking.
- This dough can be made well in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer.
