Homemade Flaky Pie Crust
Look no further; this Homemade Flaky Pie Crust is it! It has it all! It’s buttery, flaky, and unbelievably delicious. This crust will bring your pie over the top, and you will be everybody’s favorite person for making something so delicious 😁!
Are you ready to impress your family with a pie that is entirely made from scratch? I can assure you after tasting this crust; you will never get store-bought crust again. Plus, it’s so easy to make with just a few simple ingredients, flour, salt, fat, and cold water.
Last week I made Caramel Pear Pie! The filling speaks for itself, I think it is this year’s winner for Thanksgiving, BUT it was the crust that made it whole. It was like Fourth of July in my mouth, a flavor explosion. I don’t think I have ever made a tastier pie.
[Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. If you take action (i.e., make a purchase) after clicking on one of the links, I’ll earn some tea money, which I promise to drink while creating new content for you 🥰. You do not pay a higher price!]
Tips
Keeping the butter as cold as possible is the number one thing if you want to achieve a gold medal-worthy flaky and buttery pie crust. If the butter melts inside the dough before baking, you will lose the flakiness.
Number two advice is to be patient! This dough needs time to rest! Before using it, during the process, and once again before putting your pie in the oven!
Don’t overwork the dough!
Less is best. You want to have some bigger butter pieces in your dough. If you work it too long, you will end up with a hard, tough, and greasy crust.
Those distinct bits of butter will melt in the oven as the pie bakes, and the water content in the butter will convert to steam creating multiple light, flaky layers. Leaving you with an unbelievably tasty pie crust!
Keep it cold!!
- Get your flour, salt, and water measured before the butter and shortening come out of the fridge.
- Start with cold butter and shortening straight from the fridge. Your water should be icy cold, too (I usually put ice cubes in mine to achieve that ice-cold temperature).
- It is crucial to keep the pie dough cold/refrigerated whenever you are not working directly with it. I also advise making the dough a day in advance; that way, it will have enough time to rest and chill.
- Once you start rolling out the dough – work quickly and efficiently. If your dough feels warm and tacky, put it back in the refrigerator (or the freezer) until it’s firm and cold to the touch.
E Guete (Bon appétit)!! Don’t forget to share some pictures with me and tell me how you liked this Homemade Flaky Pie Crust. It would make my day if you tag @mirjamskitchenyodel on Instagram, share on Facebook or pin on Pinterest.
You might also like the following:
Homemade Flaky Pie Crust
Equipment
Ingredients
- 320 g All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 90 g Butter unsalted, chilled and cubed
- 130 g Vegetable shortening chilled
- 120 ml Ice water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix flour and salt together.
- Add the chilled butter and rub it into the flour salt mixture until it resembles coarse meal. I like to use my hands to work the butter into the flour, but you can use two forks or a pastry cutter if you have one.
- Add the vegetable shortening and rub it into the mixture as you did with the butter. Work quickly to prevent the fats from melting. It is OK to have a few larger bits of fat and the rest about pea-size bits.
- Drizzle the cold water into the mixture, a tablespoon at a time, and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula. You might not need all of the water. Stop adding water once the dough begins to form large clumps. At this point, I go in with my hands and mix it all up and add more water if needed.
- Transfer the pie dough onto a lightly floured work surface. It shouldn't be overly sticky and come together easily. Don't overwork it, or it will get tough.
- Cut in half and form two balls. Flatten them into 1-inch discs with your hands.
- Wrap each disk individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. They will stay good for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Rolling out the pie dough
- Take the chilled dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Use light pressure with your rolling pin. Start in the center of the disc and work your way out. Turn your dough with your hands as you go so that it will be evenly rolled out. If the dough gets a little sticky, lightly dust it with flour. Visible small pieces of butter in the rolled-out dough are perfectly OK and expected.
- Use it for your favorite pie recipe.