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Don't be intimidated by a homemade pie crust! This buttery, flaky perfect pie crust turns out great every time and is the perfect starting place for all your favorite pies.
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5 from 5 votes

Perfect Pie Crust

Don't be intimidated by a homemade pie crust! This buttery, flaky perfect pie crust turns out great every time and is the perfect starting place for all your favorite pies.
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 202kcal
Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

Double-crust recipe (for apple, peach, rhubarb, etc. type pies with both a top and bottom crust)

  • 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the work surface
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • ½ cup vegetable shortening, chilled
  • 12 Tablespoons butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces and chilled
  • 6-8 Tablespoons ice water

Single-crust recipe (for Banana Cream or Lemon Meringue type pies)

  • 1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the work surface
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled
  • 5 Tablespoons butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces and chilled
  • 4-6 Tablespoons ice water

Instructions

  • Stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or a food processor (if I had one I would use it!), cut the shortening and butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. It is only about 10 pulses with a food processor but a bit more work by hand. One trick to make the process a little easier is to freeze your butter beforehand, then grate it into the flour mixture before cutting it in with the pastry cutter if not using a food processor.
  • Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture. Using a fork, gently stir the water in to the flour mixture, then repeat with the remaining water, adding only 2 tablespoons at a time, just until the dough starts to come together.
  • Divide the dough into two even pieces (if making a double-crust recipe). Turn each piece of dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten each into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then allow the chilled dough to sit on the counter to soften slightly for 10 minutes before rolling out.

Notes

Recipe from America's Test Kitchen.
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Nutrition

Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 31mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1.2mg