All-Purpose Flaky Pastry Dough

The best pie dough uses the perfect combination of butter, flour, shortening, and water for a flaky and tasty crust! This dough is fantastic for any pie, pie bars, tarts, or pastry! Add in some vodka for an extra flaky and crispy crust!

If you’re intimidated by making homemade pie dough, you’ve come to the right place. This flaky pie crust is perfect for beginner bakers and seasoned professionals — it’ll quickly become a staple in your recipe box.

Two Tricks to Start as Cold as Possible

I keep some of my butter in the freezer and transfer it to the refrigerator a few hours before beginning the crust. This way it is still a little bit frozen and very, very cold. Simply keep the shortening in the refrigerator.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl (the flour and salt). Place the bowl in the refrigerator or freezer while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.

Why A Stand Mixer is the Best Method for Flaky Pie Dough

There are so many methods for making pie dough, the top three being: by hand, in a food processor, or in a stand mixer. You can use hand tools, such as a pastry blender, to make it as well.

This recipe calls for a stand mixer.

This recipe–when compared to traditional pie crust recipes–uses more butter and leaves it in larger chunks. Because of this, more water is needed to bring it together. Adding water means that more gluten will be formed.

To keep the dough from being tough, a stand mixer is used to bring the dough together quickly and without too much handling. I have found that making this type of dough by hand increases the toughness of the final product. So a stand mixer is the best method to make this dough.

Buttery, easy, flaky pie crust that will turn out perfect every time. Easy to make with just 5 basic ingredients!

This flaky pie crust is ridiculously easy to make, with just 5 ingredients, and it turns out beautiful and delicious every time.

One of the very first years I started cooking for the holidays, I made a French silk pie using a random butter crust recipe. For some reason, the pie crust had turned to some strange translucent, rubber-like consistency.

I have never used that recipe again. And much to my hubby’s delight, I have found the perfect flaky pie crust recipe that turns out perfect. Every. Time.

It’s flaky. It’s delicious. It’s easy. And best of all, it’s NOT rubbery.

Start With These 5 Ingredients

The ingredient list for pie crust is short & simple:

Flour: Start with quality flour. Did you know that not all all-purpose flours are equal? King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour is my go-to for not only pie crust, but for everything. (Not working with the brand, just a true fan!) Why? Its high protein level: “At 11.7% protein, it tops ordinary American all-purpose flours by nearly 2 percentage points.” What does this mean? Baked goods rise higher and stay fresh longer.
Salt: Enhances the flavor.
Butter: For that unparalleled buttery flavor and flaky layers.
Vegetable Shortening: For structure and stability. More on this below.
Ice water: Liquid brings the dough together. Some recipes call for half water and half vodka, because alcohol doesn’t promote gluten formation, which helps the crust stay flaky and tender. Basically, it’s a gift to anyone who accidentally overworks dough. If you want to try using vodka, use 1/4 cup (60ml) each cold vodka and cold water in this recipe.

You can use this pie dough for so many recipes beyond a traditional pie, too, such as mini pecan pies, mini fruit galettes, apple hand pies, and homemade brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts.

Using a few simple ingredients along with a straightforward folding technique, you can make a super flaky pie crust. This recipe yields a flavorful puff pastry-like flaky crust that will leave everyone impressed.

This pie crust is different from the average pie crust.

Admittedly, being a pie recipe developer, I spend a lot of time thinking about the nuanced differences between pie crusts.

There are so many different techniques and ingredients you can use to make a million different types of pie crusts. However, I feel like most people these days are just after one type: a super flaky pie crust.

After spending the last year working on some puff pastry recipes, I experimented with “marrying” my pie crust recipe to my puff pastry recipe, which resulted in a simple, yet ultra flaky pie crust any home baker can make.

So, let’s get to making it, shall we? The text below offers tons of tips and helpful notes, or you can scroll to the bottom to grab the recipe and get started!

More of a visual person? Check out the video of me making it below!

For a baker, there’s nothing more satisfying than making a pie completely from scratch. Pies are often made for special occasions, and there’s a good reason for that: they’re time consuming. This shouldn’t scare you! It should intrigue you. If you’ve ever felt intimidated about making homemade pie crust, I’m here to walk you through it and cheer you on. If I can do this, you can do this.

Pie crust is the foundation for so many delicious desserts (plus savory pies and quiche), so once you build up your confidence in making a crust, you’re opening a door to an entire baking category. And that’s exciting! Whether your favorite pie filling is apple pie or creamy banana cream pie, or even eggs & cheese, the success of the overall pie can really hinge on the quality of the crust.

You wouldn’t hang a beautiful piece of art or favorite photo in a terrible frame, right?

Today I’m teaching you everything about making a buttery, flaky pie crust. This is my absolute favorite pie crust recipe and one of the most popular recipes on this website.

Catherine Brookes/Tasting Table

The key to a delicious pie always comes down to the crust. You can always take the simple route by purchasing a pre-made crust at the grocery store, and the pie will turn out just fine. However, if you want a pie that is next-level, then there’s no doubt that homemade is the way to go. Making a pie crust is easier than you may think, and this recipe takes just 15 minutes of prep time. The result is a light and flaky crust that goes well with anything filling, from apple to cherry to pumpkin. The recipe also yields enough dough for two pies — and the more pies, the merrier.

Gather the ingredients for this flaky pie crust

Start by making a list and heading to the grocery store. You need to pick up all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, butter, ice cold water, and ice cold vodka.

Once you have those items, you can make this flaky pie crust.

Whisk the dry ingredients and add butter

Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Toss in the flour, sugar, and salt and use a whisk to combine well.

Next, toss in the cubed butter. Use your hands to mix the dry ingredients with the butter and continue working until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

Mix the ingredients

Here’s where your electric mixer comes into play. Make sure the dough hook is attached, and turn the mixer on to low speed. Slowly add the ice cold water and ice cold vodka as the mixer continues to run. “Switching a little of the water for vodka in this recipe helps to keep the dough moist and the alcohol content inhibits the development of the gluten, making the final product more tender,” Brookes notes. Continue mixing until the dough is nice and smooth.

Make a dough ball and let it chill

Using a spoon or spatula, scrape every last bit of dough out of the container — trust us, you don’t want to waste a single piece. Then, use your hands to form the dough into a ball.

Roll the dough and add to the pie tin

https://youtube.com/watch?v=r6FUomkCuEY%3Fv%3Dr6FUomkCuEY

Learn how to make a flaky homemade pie crust.

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter, cubed
3 tablespoons ice cold water
3 tablespoons ice cold vodka

Add the flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of an electric stand mixer and whisk to combine.
Add the cubed butter and rub this into the flour with your hands until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Start the mixer on a low speed using a dough hook attachment. Slowly add the water and vodka with the mixer running.
Mix until everything starts to come together into a smooth dough.
Scrape the dough up out of the bowl with your hands and shape into a ball.
Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 1 hour before rolling out.
Roll out the dough and line your pie dish. Bake as per the instructions on your specific pie recipe.

More Pie Crust Recipes

I am so honored when you make a recipe from my site! If you make this Flaky Pie Crust, please leave a comment and a star rating with your experience! If you have any questions about this recipe, feel free to comment here, too!

Visible Specks and Swirls of Fat in Pie Dough

Take a look at the inside of the dough where you just sliced it. You want to see pieces of butter and flaky layers throughout the pie dough. These specks and swirls of butter and shortening will help ensure a flaky pie dough. They are a GOOD thing!

Now your pie dough is ready for a rest in the refrigerator. Flatten each half into 1-inch-thick discs using your hands. The disc shape makes it easier to roll out. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.

❓ What Does Adding Vodka To Pie Crust Do?

To start, the vodka adds moisture to the dough (same as the water). However, what is special about using vodka instead of just water is what happens while it is baking.

The alcohol in the vodka does not develop the gluten in the same way that water does because the proteins in flour don’t actually bond with the alcohol. What this means is that you can add in the moisture needed to make the dough pliable without making it tough.

When the vodka evaporates during the baking process, it will leave a bunch of pockets, resulting in an extra flaky crust! Don’t worry, the vodka won’t alter the flavor at all and all of the alcohol will be baked out!

How to Maximize the Flake Factor

One critical component of baking flaky pie dough is not to compress the edges of the pastry before baking. That means if you want to achieve visual flaky layers you should cut as many of the pastry edges with a sharp knife or a sharp pastry wheel. Also, it’s acceptable to egg wash pie crust to get that good shine going, but never egg wash the cut sides if you want them to flake up. It will act like glue and prevent the pastry from creating those visual layers.

Almost as important as how you prepare pie pastry is how you bake it. There is one main rule to remember when it comes to baking all butter pie dough: very cold dough should be put in a very hot oven. Flaky pie pastry should be thoroughly chilled before baking and baked at a high temperature, ideally around 425ºF at least at the beginning of the bake.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s always best to chill a pie crust either in the freezer for 10-20 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour before you bake it. While this is an extra step, it makes all the difference in the world, especially when it comes to flaky pastry.

One of the most common problems bakers ask me about is why their pie crust melted or lost its shape, or sank in the pie pan. And the most common reason for this is because the crust was too warm, or the oven wasn’t at the right temperature.

So make sure to chill your pie crust and fully pre-heat your oven!

However, not all pie fillings can be baked at that high of a temperature, which means that sometimes the pie crust will need to be partially or fully blind baked. Usually, a pie recipe indicates how the pie crust should be baked, so reference those directions for pies using this flaky pie crust.

❓ Should You Chill Pie Crust Before Baking?

Yes! This is not a step that you should skip over. Chilling the dough helps to harden up the fat (the butter and shortening), which will help to maintain the structure of the crust while it is baking.

Pie Crust Ingredients

You’ll need just four ingredients for this top-rated flaky pie crust recipe:

· Flour: This flaky pie crust recipe starts with all-purpose flour.· Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavor and promotes a tender, moist crust.· Butter: Cold butter adds rich flavor and creates steam as it melts, ensuring a perfectly flaky finished product.· Water: Cold water acts as a binding agent which holds the dry ingredients together. It also contributes to the flakiness of the crust as it evaporates.

How to Make Easy Flaky Pie Crust

In a large mixing bowl, cut shortening, butter, flour, and salt together with a . (Photos 1-3)

Add cold water, and stir with a fork until it forms a ball. (Photos 4-6) If there’s still flour at the end, add water, a teaspoon at a time. You want the dough to be stiff, not sticky, so be careful not to add too much water.

Divide in half, and form into discs. Cover in plastic wrap, and let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before .

If you need a little help with the next steps, check out my post for tips on rolling out pie crust.

How to Freeze Pie Crust

This pie crust recipe is freezer friendly.

Directions

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Use a pasty blender to cut in chilled, diced butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add 1 tablespoon cold water at a time, mixing with a spatula or your hands until the dough comes together; you may need less than 1/4 cup water. Shape dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Place chilled dough on a generously floured surface and roll out to an 11-inch circle, adding more flour to your rolling pin as needed. Carefully roll dough onto the rolling pin, then unroll over a 9-inch pie dish. Press dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the dish. Trim any excess dough and flute the edges.
Blind-bake or fill and bake as directed in your pie recipe.

Best Pie Crust Video

In a large mixing bowl, cut shortening, butter, and flour together (add salt if you’re using). A pastry blender is preferred, but as a newlywed without a well stocked kitchen, I have used a fork with success.
Then add cold water and stir with a fork until it forms a ball. If there’s still flour at the end, add water, a teaspoon at a time. You want the dough to be stiff, not sticky, so be careful not to add too much water.
Divide in half, and form into discs. (If you’re only using half, you can freeze the other half now.) Cover in plastic wrap. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
If you need a baked pie shell, bake in a 400°F oven for 14-15 minutes, or until the crust is cooked through and no longer translucent.

Nutrition facts are for ⅛ of the pie crust.

Be sure to use COLD ingredients. Let water with ice in it (remeasure before use!) and keep butter refrigerated until the last minute.
You can use this pie crust right away, but it’s much easier to work with if you refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before use.
Rolling Out Pie Crust Tutorial – If rolling out your own homemade pie crust makes you nervous, stop right now! This easy step-by-step tutorial will tell you exactly what to do for a perfect pie crust!
Pretty Ways to Finish Pie Crust Edges – There are so many ways to finish pie crust once you’re done rolling it out to make a truly special pie. Try some of these easy and fun ones this year!
Must Have Pie Making Supplies – If you love pies, you need these tools so you can make them all the time at home!
Before baking, prick bottom with a fork, gently line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans. This will prevent your crust from becoming puffy or misshapen.
Make Ahead: Prepare pie crust as instructed in steps 1-3. After covering in plastic wrap, cover in foil as well. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 3 months.
And be sure to check out my favorite pie recipes HERE

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Resting Time

Resting the dough ensures the butter maintains the proper chilled temperature, but it also allows some of the built-up gluten to relax. Gluten develops naturally when the dough is handled and rolled out.

When developing this recipe, I wanted to ensure the gluten had enough time to relax, but I also didn’t want this to be such a fussy recipe that required long periods of rest. With that in mind, I tried to strike a bit of a balance.

Allowing the dough to rest makes it easier to roll out during lamination, and it prevents it from shrinking too much when baked.

🔪 How To Make The Best Pie Dough With Vodka

This pie dough is incredibly easy to make! Go ahead and grab your food processor and a rolling pin and you are ready to get started!

This recipe will make you two pie crusts based on an 8-9 inch pie pan.

Add ingredients. In a food processor, quickly mix together the 2½ cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Then, add the 6 tablespoons of butter and the ⅔ cup of vegetable shortening.
Pulse into chunks. Using the food processor, pulse the ingredients until the butter and shortening have become pea-sized chunks (*see note).
Slowly incorporate the water. Add the ½ cup of ice water (or ice water and vodka combination, *see note) slowly in small amounts of 1 tablespoon at a time while pulsing the food processor. Continue until the mixture comes together and forms a dough (*see note).
Divide your dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured working surface, divide it into two halves and form each half into a ball.
Chill the dough. Flatten each ball into a 1-inch thick disk. Then, wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator for 2 hours (*see note).
Roll out your dough. Once ready, remove the pie dough from the fridge and place it on a floured work surface. When rolling out the dough, use a rolling pin with gentle force. Start in the center of the disc and work your way outwards. Continue with your desired pie recipe.

This is the best pie dough for any of your favorite recipes! Use it with some raspberry or cherry pie filling to make a perfect fruit pie! Enjoy!

Is Pie Crust Better With Butter or Shortening?

I use BOTH shortening and butter in this pie crust because they work together to make the BEST crust. Buttery, flaky, and tender: the pie-fect trifecta.

What does butter do? Butter adds flavor and flakiness.
What does shortening do? Shortening helps the dough stay pliable, which is helpful when you’re rolling and shaping it. Plus, shortening’s high melting point helps the crust stay tender and maintain its shape as it bakes. Have you ever had a butter pie crust lose its shape completely? Shortening is “shape insurance.” 😉

If you don’t want to use shortening, try this all-butter pie crust instead. Let’s compare:

What Pie Recipes Pair Well with Flaky Pie Crust

This pie is perfect for classic fruit pies or savory pies that will be served at room temperature or warm. This is a highly opinionated piece of advice, but this pie dough is not ideal for any pie that is to be served cold, like a cream pie. If you are looking for a pie crust that is good for a pie that is to be served cold, check out this Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Pie Crust) recipe.

The reason I don’t recommend using this pie dough for a pie meant to be served cold is that it can taste stale when served straight from the refrigerator, the same way a croissant or puff pastry might taste stale when very cold.

A properly made pastry, which is buttery and flaky, is at its best when it’s at room temperature. The primary reason is because of the butter within the crust. Once it goes into the refrigerator it solidifies, the crust becomes more solid, and it loses that ethereal softness to it.

Does that mean I’m saying you can never eat an Apple Pie made in this crust straight from the refrigerator? Absolutely not! I know many people love it! But a fruit pie has a lot of juices and it transforms this crust when it is hanging in the refrigerator.

But a Coconut Cream Pie or a Banana Cream Pie doesn’t transform this pastry the same way as an Apple Pie would, and I wouldn’t recommend using this crust on those meant-to-be-served-cold pies!

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“This was my first time ever making a pie crust and it turned out great (and beautiful),” raves Evan. “No more store-bought for me. There really is a difference!”

“Finally! After 39 years of looking for a pie crust that rolls out easily and can transfer to a pie pan without falling apart,” says Jals. The dough is like elastic. I stumbled upon this recipe on Thanksgiving morning. I made it in my food processor. It is also very tasty!”

“I made a chicken pot pie with this crust and the crust was better than the filling,” according to Lanae Reynolds. “I love this recipe and will continue to use it for any pie and cobbler.”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Temperature Matters

The ambient temperature of your home, as well as the temperature of your dough, can affect the flakiness of your baked pie crust.

One of the keys to keeping that lamination intact is to make sure the butter doesn’t melt. If it melts or gets too soft, it will be incorporated into the dough, as opposed to staying as a thin layer in the dough.

If your house is very hot, you may need to chill your dough longer before folding it and or even before using it!

Alternatively, if your dough is too cold (this would happen from a long chilling time) and you find it is cracking when you are rolling it, let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature. This is unlikely to happen though, as this recipe calls for enough water that it should be malleable even at a very cold temperature.

After the pie crust has been folded (aka laminated), it is briefly rolled out, cut in half and shaped into two flaky pie dough disks.

❓ Is Pie Crust Better When Made With Butter Or Shortening?

Shortening has a higher melting point than butter does and helps it to retain its shape when baked. This makes it extremely beneficial if you are doing decorative latticework with your dough.

Shortening also helps to contribute to some tender and flaky attributes. Butter adds a delicious flavor and a sturdy structure.

I love to use both butter and shortening together so that I can get the best qualities from each!

For an all-butter crust, check out my butter pie crust recipe!

💭 Angela’s Tips & Recipe Notes

Using vodka in your pie dough is a fantastic baking hack! When baked, the vodka evaporates, leaving air pockets that result in a delightfully flaky and crisp crust.
If incorporating chilled vodka, use a combination of ¼ cup each of ice water and vodka. Start with only half of the liquid and drizzle more as necessary.
You can refrigerate your food processor bowl if needed, to keep your butter cold while you are pulsing it.
You’ll know your dough has enough liquid added when it is moist, but not soggy.
Your dough needs to chill in the fridge for at least two hours and can be chilled for up to 5 days maximum.
To freeze or make ahead: The discs can be placed in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

Can You Use All Butter for Pie Crust?

Yes, you can. You can see above why I prefer not to.

But if you’re a shortening hater and refuse to use it at all, here are some tips for dealing with butter crusts:

Butter crusts need to be chilled for at least 2 hours before handling, preferably overnight. (See the make ahead instructions in the recipe for how to store).
Flour, flour, flour your work area. All my butter crusts like to stick to the surface, and I often have to use my to pull them up cleanly.

These Step-By-Step Photos Will Help

Take the butter and shortening out of the refrigerator. Cube the cold butter and measure out the cold shortening. Give the shortening a little chop—this is actually optional because, truly, the shortening is quite soft even when cold so it’s easy to mix in.

Now it’s time to combine everything. Add the butter and shortening to the dry ingredients, and use a pastry cutter (or 2 forks) to cut in the fats. Some pie crust recipes use a food processor for this, but I don’t recommend it, because it can lead to overworking the fats into the dough, cutting them up too small—which means you’ll need less water and your dough will fall apart. In this step, you’re only breaking up the cold fat into tiny little flour-coated pieces; you’re not completely incorporating it:

Cut in the fats until the mixture resembles coarse meal—crumbly with lots of lumps, as you see above. You should still have some larger pieces of butter and shortening when you’re done.

From a cup of ice water, measure out 1/2 cup (120ml), since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water into the dough 1 Tablespoon (15ml) at a time, stirring after every Tablespoon has been added.

You’ll add just a little water at a time so that you don’t accidentally add too much. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I usually use 1/2 cup (120ml) of water, but if the weather is humid, you may not need as much, and if the weather is really dry, you may need a little more.

If too much water is added, the pie dough will require more flour and become tough.

If too little water is added, you’ll notice the dough is dry and crumbly when you try to roll it out and handle it.

You want the dough to clump together, but not feel overly sticky. Once the dough is clumping together, transfer the dough to a floured work surface.

Using floured hands, fold and smush (yes, that’s the technical term) the dough into itself, forming the dough into a ball. Your hands are your best tool, just like when making homemade puff pastry.

The ball of dough should come together easily. If it feels a bit too dry or crumbly, dip your fingers in the ice water and then continue forming the dough with your hands. If it feels too sticky, sprinkle on more flour and then continue forming the dough with your hands.

Once your ball of pie dough has come together, use a sharp knife to cut it in half:

This is enough dough for 2 pie crusts. You can use both crusts for a double-crust pie, like chicken pot pie and strawberry rhubarb pie; or, if your pie doesn’t require a top crust, like coconut cream pie, brownie pie, and lemon meringue pie, save the second pie crust for another pie. You can also roll out the second dough and use cookie cutters to make an easy pie design, like on this pumpkin pie.

Can I Freeze Pie Dough?

Yes, absolutely, and I encourage it! Pie crust freezes beautifully, so it’s a great thing to make ahead of time. Store the tightly wrapped discs of pie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months.

If you know you’re going to want several pies around the holidays, or when your favorite fruit will be in season (cherry pie, anyone?), you can cut down on the amount of time it takes to make pies from scratch the day you want them by making several pie crusts in advance and freezing them.

Thaw the pie crust dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling it out. It will be extra cold, which is a great starting point.

Best Pie Dough Recipe With Shortening

Although this dough is exceptional just as it is, I love using vodka as a secret ingredient to get an extra flaky crust! It is one of my favorite baking tricks!

This pastry dough is easy to make and incredibly tasty!

Dice the butter first, and then chill before using. If you dice chilled butter, it will be too warm to use in this recipe.

If you refrigerate the dough overnight, you may need to let it sit for a few minutes before rolling.

Troubleshooting Pie Crust

Pie crust is tough: Tough crusts are the result of not enough fat in the crust, as well as overworking the dough. Use the recipe below (plenty of fat) and avoid handling the dough more than you need.
Pie crust shrinks down the sides of the dish when baking: This can happen when par-baking a pie crust. See section below.
Pie dough is dry & cracking around edges when rolling: Use enough ice water when preparing the pie dough. If you work the fats into the dry ingredients too much, the dough will feel too wet before you can add enough water. (And the dough will be dry and thirsty.) Do not overwork the fats in the dry ingredients—you still want those nice crumbles. If it’s too late and you notice the edges of your pie crust are cracking as you roll it out, dip your fingers in ice-cold water and meld the edges back together. Wait a minute, and then try rolling out again.
Pie dough is falling apart & crumbling when rolling: The dough is likely crumbling because there’s too much fat, and not enough flour and water. Again, this is usually a result of fat being worked in too much, which can easily happen if the ingredients weren’t cold enough. (Refrigerate those dry ingredients before you start!) If it’s too late and the pie dough is crumbling as you roll it out, try adding more water AND more flour. Sprinkle a tiny bit of ice water and flour onto the cracks and crumbled pieces, and gently work it all in with your fingers. Wait a minute, and then try rolling out again.

Gently work ice water drops and flour into your crumbly pie dough to bring it back together:

Pie Crust Success Tips

Use a glass pie dish. I prefer using a glass pie dish when I make pie. Why? Glass dishes conduct heat evenly, which allows the bottom of the crust to bake thoroughly. Also, you’ll be able to see when the sides and bottom of the crust have browned.
The refrigerator is pie dough’s best friend. Keep everything cold every step of the way: ingredients, the bowl, and the dough before rolling. When taking the pie crust out of the refrigerator to roll out and fill, make sure your pie filling is ready to go. If not, keep the pie crust in the refrigerator until it is.
Keep dough cold when rolling out: Warm pie dough is unworkable. If the dough becomes too warm when you’re rolling it out, stop what you’re doing, pick it up as gently as you can, put it on a plate or small baking sheet, and then cover and refrigerate it for 10–20 minutes.
Protect the crust edges from burning: Use a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from burning. A shield keeps the crust edge covered, but the center of the pie exposed, protecting the edges. I usually just make a pie shield out of a piece of aluminum foil. Take a piece of aluminum foil and fold it in half. Cut out a half circle. When you open it back up, you’ll have a square of foil with a circle cut out of the center. If you notice the edges of your pie crust are browning before the pie has fully baked, carefully and gently place the foil over the top of the pie, centering the cut-out hole over the pie. Carefully (obviously it’s very hot!) and lightly tuck the sides of the foil around the pie crust edges, then let the pie finish baking.
Create a beautiful topping: For designing the top crust, see How to Lattice Pie Crust, How to Braid Pie Crust, or these Pie Crust Designs.

Description

This recipe is enough for a double crust pie. If you only need 1 crust for your pie, freeze the other half per the Freezing Instructions below. Is your pie dough tearing, cracking, or crumbling as you try to roll it out? See recipe Notes.

and 1/2 cups () all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for shaping and rolling
salt
() unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
() vegetable shortening, chilled
(120ml) ice cold water

Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
Add the butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). In this step, you’re only breaking up the cold fat into tiny little flour-coated pieces; you’re not completely incorporating it. Do not overwork the ingredients.
Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.
Because your dough is so thin, use your rolling pin to help transfer the pie crust to the pie dish. Carefully roll one end of the circle of dough gently onto the rolling pin, rolling it back towards you, slowly peeling it off the work surface as you go. Pick it up, and carefully roll it back out over the top of the pie dish. It’s helpful to watch how I do it in the video below.
Proceed with the pie per your recipe’s instructions. If your dough requires par-baking, see helpful How to Par-Bake Pie Crust tutorial.

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the pie dough through step 5 and freeze the discs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in your pie recipe.
Salt: Use regular table salt. If using kosher salt, use 1 and 1/4 teaspoons.
Shortening: This recipe uses a butter and shortening combination. 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. Some readers have substituted lard for shortening in this recipe with success.
Can I use a food processor? You can use a food processor to bring the dough ingredients together in step 1, but I find it quickly overworks the dough. For best results and a light, flaky crust, I recommend a pastry cutter.
Pie dough is dry & cracking around edges when rolling: Use enough ice water when preparing the pie dough. If you work the fats into the dry ingredients too much, the dough will feel too wet before you can add enough water. (And the dough will be dry and thirsty.) Do not overwork the fats in the dry ingredients—you still want those nice crumbles. If it’s too late and you notice the edges of your pie crust are cracking as you roll it out, dip your fingers in ice-cold water and meld the edges back together. Wait a minute, and then try rolling out again.
Pie dough is falling apart & crumbling when rolling: The dough is likely crumbling because there’s too much fat, and not enough flour and water. Again, this is usually a result of fat being worked in too much, which can easily happen if the ingredients weren’t cold enough. (Refrigerate those dry ingredients before you start!) If it’s too late and the pie dough is crumbling as you roll it out, try adding more water AND more flour. Sprinkle a tiny bit of ice water and flour onto the cracks and crumbled pieces, and gently work it all in with your fingers. Wait a minute, and then try rolling out again.
More Crusts: If you need more than 2 pie crusts, make another separate batch of dough. Doubling or tripling the recipe leads to over- or under-working the dough, which ruins all of your efforts.

Keywords: pie crust

Why I Use Shortening and Butter in My Pie Crust

As I mentioned earlier, I had a very bad experience with my very first butter pie crust. Since then, I have actually successfully made some that are a more normal consistency.

However, in my pie crust experimentation, I’ve found that shortening only and shortening and butter pie crusts taste better, hold their shape better, and are easier to work with (especially for beginners!) than all-butter crusts.

The butter and shortening crust is the best of both worlds. Flaky, buttery, and easy to work with.

For very beginners who are looking for the EASIEST possible pie crust to work with, use all shortening (you can just substitute 1:1 with the butter in the recipe). I don’t even need to chill all shortening crusts to work with them. So simple.

The Secret to Perfect Pie Crust

The refrigerator is as important as the oven when you’re making a homemade pie.

Why the emphasis on temperature? Keeping your pie dough as cold as possible helps prevent the fats from melting before the crust hits the hot oven. If the butter melts inside the dough before baking, you lose the flakiness. When the lumps of fat melt in the oven as the pie bakes, their steam helps to separate the crust into multiple flaky layers, as explained above. Warm fats will yield a hard, crunchy, greasy crust instead of a tender, flaky crust.

The colder the ingredients, the easier your pie crust is to work with, and the better it will turn out.

🥘 Best Pie Dough Ingredients

These ingredients are common household staples. I recommend including the vodka for an extra flaky crust!

Flour – 2½ cups of all-purpose flour.
Salt – 1 teaspoon of salt. If you are using salted butter, reduce this amount to just 1 pinch.
Butter – 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter that is chilled and cubed.
Vegetable Shortening – ⅔ cup of chilled vegetable shortening.
Ice Water – ½ cup of ice water. Additionally, you can use a combination of ¼ cup of ice water and ¼ cup of chilled vodka (*see note).

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

How to Make a Flaky Pie Crust

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this flaky pie crust:

1. Combine the flour and salt.2. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.3. Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time.4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.5. Roll the dough into a circle, then press it into a pie plate. Trim the excess and flute the edges.

How Long Do You Bake a Pie Crust Unfilled?

To bake a pie crust without filling, line with parchment paper after rolling out and pricking the bottom with a fork. Fill with or dry beans. Bake at 400°F for about 14-15 minutes.

Storing Flaky Pie Crust

Pie dough keeps really well either in the refrigerator or the freezer. But first, you need to wrap it well!

Wrap the pie dough as tightly as you can, and then use a rolling pin to roll out the pie dough into a disc and flatten it out so it fills any empty space, which essentially makes an airtight seal with the plastic wrap. This helps prevent it from oxidizing (or turning a muddled gray color).

You can store this flaky pie crust in the refrigerator for about 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you plan to store it for an extended period of time then wrap it up twice!

How to Bake a Flaky Pie Crust

How to Use Pie Crust

Ready to use your favorite new tender, flaky, and buttery pie crust? You’re in the right place. Try one of these top-rated recipes that start with a homemade pastry crust:

· Apple Pie by Grandma Ople· Blueberry Pie· Pecan Pie· Chicken Pot Pie· Chocolate Cream Pie

Explore our entire collection of Pie Recipes.

What Makes a Pie Crust Flaky?

When it comes to making a flaky pie crust, it’s all about the fat (in this case, butter). The fat works in two ways:

1. It coats the flour, preventing it from absorbing the liquid and creating gluten. Too much gluten produces a dense, chewy crust.2. As the fat melts during baking, it leaves air pockets in the dough. The pockets fill with steam and expand, creating layers of flaky pastry crust.

For the flakiest crust, make sure your ingredients are as cold as possible to prevent the fat from melting before it makes it to the oven. It also helps to work with cold hands and, if possible, a marble rolling pin and cutting board.

Rolling It Out

When you are ready to roll out your dough, remove it from the refrigerator and liberally flour your work surface and rolling pin. If the pie dough is too cold (or possibly under-hydrated) it can crack when you roll it out. Let it warm up for 5 minutes before trying again. However, this pastry recipe as written is well hydrated, so it should be easy to roll out straight from the refrigerator.

Use caution if your kitchen is warm. If the pastry becomes too warm it can be difficult to work with.

If at any point you feel like your pie dough is too warm, place it back in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.

Steps for Making Flaky Pie Crust

As stated above, there are a few additional steps to make this super flaky crust, but none that are too difficult or time-consuming. Here is an overview of the steps needed to make this recipe, and then if you read on after this, there will be a deeper dive into these topics and some helpful tips for making this recipe.

Add the dry ingredients to a stand mixer bowl and whisk together.
Add in the butter and briefly combine on low speed. We’re talking just 30 seconds of mixing. The butter should still be in very large pieces.
Stream in water and apple cider vinegar until the dough is thoroughly hydrated and starts to come together around the paddle.
Place in plastic wrap and wrap tightly, and let it rest for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Roll out the dough to a large rectangle and then make 3 folds.
Wrap it again, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes, or up to two days until ready to use.

Folding the Pie Dough

Let’s talk about the most exciting (and different) part of this pie crust recipe! Folding this pie crust is the key to making those flaky layers. First, let me talk a little bit more in-depth about how and why it works!

This recipe is based on the technique of laminating pastry. If you don’t already know, pastry lamination refers to the technique of layering butter and dough together. It is achieved by rolling the dough and then folding it over itself several times.

When laminated pastry bakes, the moisture in the butter evaporates, and the dough puffs up, creating all those flaky layers.

This pie crust recipe is a version of that. Large chunks of butter are left in the dough. Then the dough is rolled out semi-thin to a large rectangle and folded three times, creating six layers.

Find a rolling pin that feels comfortable to you. I prefer a dowel rolling pin, as opposed to one with handles, but the type of rolling pin really doesn’t matter; what matters most is you are able to direct the dough properly with it.

The best tip for rolling out pastry is to ensure the dough is at the proper temperature (meaning not too hot and not too cold) and to properly flour your work surface! See more on this below.

Here are the steps showing how to fold the pie dough three times, to create 6 “laminated” layers.

Tips for Success

Did you skip through all of the text above but want to know a few quick tips for making this recipe? Here are the cliff notes:

Let the dough rest, if you can. I personally never make and use pie dough the same day it’s made. That goes for this recipe too. Even though the recipe says you can, it’s best to let it rest overnight after you have rolled it out, if feasible. Dough that is made the same day it’s rolled out and baked can be more difficult to handle and possibly deform in the oven because the butter hasn’t chilled enough and the gluten hasn’t had time to relax. It will still taste good and will still be flakier than your typical pie crust, but you’ll get the best-tasting and prettiest flake if you let it rest. Don’t you feel better after a good night’s sleep? Same for pie crust!
Weigh your ingredients. An electronic kitchen scale is not a huge investment. You can get one for around $25. I can’t recommend enough that if you want to get good at baking, get a scale.
Use high-quality butter and flour. Both of these ingredients can vary wildly in quality. Poor quality butter is going to have higher water content and less fat. Lower quality flour can vary in the protein structure and that can affect your final pie crust. In the end, I’d still choose a homemade pie crust made with cheap butter and flour over anything store-bought, but if you are looking for a really amazing pie crust buying quality ingredients will help.
If your kitchen is hotter than 70 degrees you’ll need to move quickly! If your house is very hot, you may need to chill your dough longer before folding it and or before using it! Melted butter is the enemy here. If the kitchen is hot, utilize the freezer or refrigerator through the dough-making process to ensure the butter doesn’t turn soft. If it’s very hot in the kitchen, freeze the butter for 15 minutes before working with it. Soft butter will not allow your dough to come together evenly.
The bigger the butter chunks, the flakier your pie will be so don’t overwork it in the stand mixer.

How to Roll Out Pie Crust

After the dough has chilled for at least 2 hours, you can roll it out. Work with one crust at a time, keeping the other in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll it out. You’ll need a clean work surface, a rolling pin, and some flour. Lightly flour the work surface, rolling pin, and your hands, and sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough. Use gentle-medium force with your rolling pin on the dough—don’t press down too hard on the dough; you’re not mad at it!

When rolling dough out, start from the center and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go:

Between passes of the rolling pin, rotate the pie crust and even flip it, to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Sprinkle on a little more flour if it’s sticking. Roll, turn. Roll, turn.

Do you see that beautiful marbling of the butter and shortening throughout the dough? Flaky layers, here you come!

Success Tip: If you notice the dough becoming a lopsided circle as you’re rolling it out, put down the rolling pin and use your hands to help mold the dough back into an even circle:

Roll the dough into a thin 12-inch circle, which is the perfect size to fit a 9-inch pie dish. You want enough crust to have some overhang so you can make a decorative edge.

Your pie dough will be about 1/8-inch thick, which is quite thin.

Success Tip: Since your dough is so thin, use your rolling pin to help transfer the pie crust to the pie dish. Carefully roll one end of the circle of dough gently onto the rolling pin, rolling it back towards you, slowly peeling it off the work surface as you go. Pick it up, and carefully roll it back out over the top of the pie dish. It’s helpful to watch how I do it in the video below.

Make sure the pie crust is pretty well centered in the dish, with some overhang all around the sides. Tuck the crust into the pie dish, gently pressing it to the interior all the way around—no air bubbles.

Trim dough around the edges if there’s excess dough in some spots—you want about 1-inch overhang. After you add your pie filling and top crust (such as a lattice pie crust), fold overhang back over and pinch the top and bottom crusts together. Now you can create a pretty edge, such as fluting or crimping.

Fluting with fingers: To flute the edges, use a knuckle and 2 fingers to press around the edges of the pie crust, to give it a beautiful and classic scalloped look, like this apple pie.

Crimping with fork: You can also use a fork to crimp the edges, like I do with this peach pie.

Your pie recipe might call for an egg wash on the dough and for that, use a pastry brush. And if you bake a lot of pies, this list of Best Pie Baking Tools will be helpful for you.

Using a few simple ingredients and an easy folding technique, you can make super flaky pie crust at home. This recipe yields a flavorful puff pastry-like flaky pie crust that will leave everyone impressed. Be sure to check out the full text above for a more in-depth analysis and instruction of this recipe, or watch the video for a visual overview.

Prep Time:
Total Time:
Yield: 2 (9″) pie crusts

() all-purpose flour
sugar
kosher salt
cold unsalted butter
apple cider vinegar
cold ice water, more or less as needed (see note)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and salt on low speed.
Pour the vinegar into the water.
Transfer to the refrigerator and let it rest for at least 2 hours. If your kitchen is hotter, you may want to let it rest longer.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough, dusting with flour if necessary, until 16 inches long, and 10 inches wide. Brush off any flour with a dry pastry brush from the surface of the dough.
Fold the dough in half vertically. Then, grab the bottom side of the long thin dough and fold it up ⅓ of the way. Repeat with the top side. You should now have a thick semi square layered piece of dough. Please see the step-by-step photos above, or the video for a visual tutorial, if needed.

You can store this flaky pie crust in the refrigerator for about 2 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. If you plan to store it for an extended period of time, than wrap it up twice!

Weighing your flour is the most accurate way to measure. If you aren’t going to weigh it, spoon it into the cup, and then level it off. If you scoop the flour out with the measuring cup and then level, it could change the outcome of the final product.

Some readers have needed less water than ¾ cup. This is likely due to how much the butter is worked into the flour. If too much butter is worked into the flour, it impacts the flours ability to absorb the water. Do your best to just barely work the butter in (as the recipe instructs) so that the flour can absorb the prescribed amount of water. However, start with half at first, and see where your dough is. If It’s still dry, add in the full amount of water. When I make this recipe, I usually add in more than the ¾ cup, because my butter is barely worked into the flour, and that makes for a flakier pie crust.

Looking for baking instructions for this pie? See section titled: How to Bake a Flaky Pie Crust, or check out this How to Bake a Double Crust Pie.

Keywords: Flaky Pie Crust

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📋 Recipe

pie crusts (8-9 inch pie crust or 1 double crust)

(only 1 pinch of salt if using salted butter)
(chilled and cubed)
(or ¼ cup ice water / ¼ cup chilled vodka combination – *see note)

In a food processor, quickly mix together the flour and salt. Then, add the butter and the shortening. 2½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, ⅔ cup vegetable shortening
Using the food processor, pulse the ingredients until the butter and shortening have become pea-sized chunks (*see note).
Add the ice water (or ice water and vodka combination, *see note) slowly in small amounts of 1 tablespoon at a time while pulsing the food processor. Continue until the mixture comes together and forms a dough (*see note).½ cup ice water
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured working surface, divide it into two halves and form each half into a ball.
Flatten each ball into a 1-inch thick disk. Then, wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator for 2 hours (*see note).
Once ready, remove the pie dough from the fridge and place it on a floured work surface. When rolling out the dough, use a rolling pin with gentle force. Start in the center of the disc and work your way outwards. Continue with your desired pie recipe.

Using vodka in your pie dough is a fantastic baking hack! When baked, the vodka evaporates, leaving air pockets that result in a delightfully flaky and crisp crust.
If incorporating chilled vodka, use a combination of ¼ cup each of ice water and vodka. Start with only half of the liquid and drizzle more as necessary.
You can refrigerate your food processor bowl if needed, to keep your butter cold while you are pulsing it.
You’ll know your dough has enough liquid added when it is moist, but not soggy.
Your dough needs to chill in the fridge for at least two hours and can be chilled for up to 5 days maximum.
To freeze or make ahead: The discs can be placed in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

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Dessert, Pie Recipes

Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma’s kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!

Why This Recipe Makes the Flakiest Pie Crust

This recipe stands apart from traditional pie crust recipes because it uses more butter, and leaves said butter in larger chunks. Because of this, more water is needed to bring it together. To keep it tender, a stand mixer is used to bring the dough together quickly. The dough is then folded to create a faux lamination effect which will result in an uber-flaky pie crust.

The trade-off with this crust is while it isn’t tough, it isn’t the most tender pastry. Because it is folded, some gluten formation occurs. However, the crust is delicious and a wow-worthy pastry.

If you prefer a more traditional pie crust, there are plenty on this website. The butter pie pastry is more like a classic pie crust, with a nice balance of tenderness, flavor, and flakiness. This flaky pie crust and the butter pie crust can be used interchangeably in pie recipes and have almost the same ingredients, but it’s the technique of making them that is the most significant difference.

If you are new to pie dough and want a real deep dive into the nitty gritty of making pie dough, you can check out my Pie Crust tutorial. You can start there and come back here if you want.

Ingredients Needed

Here is an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe is listed below in greater detail.

sugar (just a touch, as it improves the flavor, texture, and look of the final pastry)
apple cider vinegar (this helps tenderize the dough by inhibiting too much gluten formation and it brings a nice subtle tang to the crust that keeps it nicely balanced)
ice water