There’s lots of controversy about which fat makes the best pie crust: butter, shortening, or lard. I’m not a fan of shortening or lard because I always feel like I’m being unfaithful to butter by not baking with it. And besides, I like its taste. As long as you keep the butter cold and the ice water to a minimum, this dough bakes up plenty flaky. I prefer to use glass pie plates as they make it easy to check on the browning underneath, but metal pie pans work well, too.
Recipe information
Yield
makes enough for one 9- or 10-inch (23- or 25-cm) double-crust pie or two 9- or 10-inch (23- or 25-cm) single-crust pies
Ingredients
2
1
1
1
6 to 8
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
In a large bowl using a pastry blender, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the chilled butter cubes and mix just until the butter is broken up into rough 1/4-inch (6-mm) pieces.
Step 2
Add 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of the ice water all at once and continue mixing just until the dough begins to hold together. If necessary, mix in the additional 2 tablespoons (30 ml) ice water.
Step 3
Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a disk about 1 inch (3 cm) thick. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 1 hour.
Storage
Step 4
The disks of dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
prebaking a pie shell
Step 5
For a prebaked 9- or 10-inch (23- or 25-cm) pie shell, lightly flour the work surface and roll out one disk of dough into a 14-inch (36-cm) circle. To make it easier to move, fold it in half, and fit it into a 9- or 10-inch (23- or 25 cm) pie plate.
Step 6
Unfold the dough, centering it and gently pressing it into the dish with your fingers. Tuck the excess dough under itself, leaving a generous amount of pastry around the rim. Use your fingers or a fork to decoratively crimp the edges. Freeze for about 30 minutes.
Step 7
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Step 8
Line the dough-lined pie plate with a sheet of aluminum foil, fill halfway with pie weights (or dried beans), and bake until the bottom of the crust is beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights, and continue baking until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes more.
tip
Step 9
If the dough is chilled for more than 1 hour, before you roll it out, let it stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes until it becomes slightly malleable again.
