Every great pie starts with a great crust, and sometimes the best recipes are the simplest ones. This pie crust comes together with just a handful of pantry staples like flour, a touch of sugar, salt, cold butter, and water, yet it bakes into something truly special. Light, tender, and wonderfully flaky, it’s the kind of crust that shatters delicately with each bite.
Butter is the real star here. As it melts in the oven, it creates those beautiful layers that make homemade pie crust so irresistible. The small hint of sugar adds just enough balance, giving the crust a subtle sweetness that works beautifully with everything from bright fruit pies to rich custards.
One of the things I love most about this dough is how dependable it is. It rolls out smoothly, holds its shape, and bakes up golden and crisp every time. Whether you’re filling it with apples, berries, chocolate, or something savory, this crust provides the perfect buttery foundation.
It’s a reminder that great baking doesn’t need a long ingredient list. Just a few simple things, treated well, can create something truly delicious. And once you taste a pie made with a homemade crust like this, it’s hard to go back to anything else.
Pie Crust
Equipment
- Silicone rolling mat This is my favorite- and helps you measure out the pie properly
- Pastry cutter A pizza cutter will also work
- Plastic Wrap
Ingredients
- 165g all purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 113 g butter frozen
- 4 tbsp ice water
Instructions
- In the bowl of your food processor, add the flour, sugar and salt. Put the lid on the machine and pulse a few times to combine.165g all purpose flour1 tsp sugar1/4 tsp salt
- Cut the frozen butter into about 12 smaller pieces. Place these chunks into the food process. Pulse until the butter is in smaller chunks. It is okay if there are still a few larger chunks.113 g butter
- Add the ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, pulsing between each addition. Once all of the water is added, continue pulsing the mixture until it has mostly come together- there should be butter chunks still visible.4 tbsp ice water
- Turn mixture out onto some plastic wrap and use your hands to shape the dough gently into a ball and then use the palm of your hand to flatten it slightly into a round disc, about an inch high. Wrap the disc in the plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Once chilled, lightly flour your silicone pie mat. Use your rolling pin to begin rolling the dough out- I like to roll it to a 1/8 inch thickness. Once it is rolled out, use your pastry cutter to trim it to the size you want. I prefer my bottom crust rolled out to a 13 inch pie, as I like having a thick edge. For the top of the pie, I prefer to roll it out to an 11 inch round.
- Once cut, place the round in your pie dish and fill as desired, or par bake, depending on need. Flute the edges of your pie however you'd like before par baking, or wait until the top crust is one, so that you can flute the edges together!
- Once finished, bake as your recipe requires! Enjoy!
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