This pie crust is light, flaky tender and very crisp. It has a glorious butter flavor and is an ideal container for any pie or tart recipe. I strongly recommend commercial or homemade pastry flour, as it will result in a more tender crust than one made with all-purpose flour.
Ingredients
1 Pastry for a 9-inch pie shell or a 9 1/2- or 10- by 1-inch tart shell
2 Pastry for a 9-inch lattice pie, a 9-inch deep-dish pie, a 10-inch pie shell, or a 12- to 14-inch free-form tart
3 Pastry for a two-crust 9-inch pie
Step 1
Divide the butter into two parts, about two thirds to one third:
Step 2
For #1 2.5 ounces and 1.5 ounces (5 tablespoons and 3 tablespoons)
Step 3
For #2 3 ounces and 1.5 ounces (6 tablespoons and 3 tablespoons)
Step 4
For #3 4.5 ounces and 2.5 ounces (9 tablespoons and 5 tablespoons)
Step 5
Cut the butter into 3/4-inch cubes. Wrap each portion of butter with plastic wrap, refrigerate the larger amount and freeze the smaller for at least 30 minutes. Place the flour, salt, and baking powder in a reclosable gallon-size freezer bag and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Food processor method:
Step 6
Place the flour mixture in a food processor with the metal blade and process for a few seconds to combine. Set the bag aside.
Step 7
Add the larger amount of butter cubes to the flour and process for about 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the remaining frozen butter cubes and pulse until all of the frozen butter is the size of peas. (Toss with a fork to see it better.)
Step 8
Add the lowest amount of the ice water and the vinegar and pulse 6 times. Pinch a small amount of the mixture together between your fingers. If it does not hold together, add half the remaining water and pulse 3 times. Try pinching the mixture again. If necessary, add the remaining water, pulsing 3 times to incorporate it. The mixture will be in particles and will not hold together without being pinched.
Step 9
For tiny 1-inch tartlets, omit the baking powder and allow the processing to continue just until a ball forms. The additional mixing produces a dough that is slightly less flaky but ensures that it will not puff out of shape in the tiny molds.
Step 10
Spoon the mixture into the plastic bag. (For a double-crust pie, it is easiest to divide the mixture in half at this point.)
Step 11
Holding both ends of the bag opening with you fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag, with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.
Step 12
Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, flatten it into a disc (or discs) and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight. (For a pie shell and lattice, divide it in a ratio of two thirds:one third — use about 9.5 ounces for the shell and the rest for the lattice, flattening the smaller part into a rectangle.)
Hand method:
Step 13
Place a medium mixing bowl in the freezer to chill.
Step 14
Place the flour, salt, and optional baking powder in another medium bowl and whisk to combine them. Use a pastry cutter or rub the mixture between your fingers to blend the larger portion of the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal.
Step 15
Spoon the mixture, together with the cold butter, into a reclosable gallon-size freezer bag. Expel any air from the bag and close it. Use a rolling pin to flatten the butter into flakes. Place the bag in the freezer for at least 10 minutes or until the butter is very firm.
Step 16
Transfer the mixture to the chilled bowl, scraping the sides of the bag. Set the bag aside. Sprinkle the ice water and vinegar onto the mixture, tossing it lightly with a rubber spatula. Spoon the loose mixture back into the plastic bag. (For a double-crust pie, it is easiest to divide the mixture in half at this point.)
Step 17
Holding both ends of the bag opening with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag, with knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.
Step 18
Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, flatten it into a disc (or discs) and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight. (For a pie shell and lattice, divide it in a ratio of two thirds:one third — use about 9.5 ounces for the shell and the rest for the lattice, flattening the smaller part into a rectangle.)
Store:
Step 19
Refrigerated, up to 2 days; frozen, up to 3 months.
Understanding:
Step 20
糕点粉提供最温柔而主要taining flakiness, but it is the addition of vinegar that relaxes the dough without losing flakiness, making it easier to roll, shrink less, and be even more tender. The baking powder lifts and aerates the dough slightly without weakening it, but it makes it seem more tender.
Step 21
Thes secret to success is finely incorporating about two thirds of the butter into the flour, which keeps the flour from absorbing too much water and forming gluten, which would make the crust tough. The remaining one third of the butter is incorporated in larger pieces, which serve to seperate the layers, resulting in the desired flakiness. This pie crust does not shrink or distort as much as the standard all-butter crust because there is less gluten development.
Step 22
If when adding the water, you find you need more than indicated in the recipe, chances are you haven't moisture-proofed the flour adequately (you haven't used the correct amount of butter or processed it fine enough), leaving the flour free to absorb more liquid. The resulting crust will be flakier but less tender.
Step 23
If you find you need less water than specified in the recipe, chances are you divided the butter incorrectly and used too much of it to moisture-proof the flour, preventing it from absorbing an adequate amount of water. The resulting crust will be more tender but not very flaky.
Step 24
面团压扁新成立的盘或discs before refrigerating makes it easier to roll without cracking. The dough is refrigerated to relax the gluten, making it less elastic and easier to roll. Chilling also firms the butter, preventing sticking and the need for extra flour when rolling, which would toughen it. Dough that has rested overnight before baking shrinks less.
Leave a Review
Reviews (88)
Back to TopI made 3 pastry for a double crust apple pie. I used 6 Tbsp out of the 7 Tbsp of water, and the result was very dry. As others have noted, no flavor. It was flaky in a dry and hard way. I wouldn’t make it again.
godlovespeg1734
Anaheim, CA
11/4/2019
for 1.5x recipe #3: 21 T butter 3.375 c AP flour .56 t salt 7.5-10 T water 1.5 T vinegar ⅜t baking powder
filotea
11/3/2019
This is a lovely pie crust. Buttery, flaky and tender. Once you get the technique down it is quite easy and goes quickly. For the cook who was disappointed that there were no cooking instructions, those instructions come with pie recipe or tart recipe you use, in other words to blind bake or not.
qizus
Duvall, WA
10/23/2017
Is anyone aware that there are no cooking instructions listed anywhere on this page. Some recipes do require a cooked pie shell. Flavor and texture are great. Shame to go to another site for actual cooking time and temp.
cindytahdah
Oakdale, CA
1/30/2017
I had avoided making pie crust for years. Now I have an ADA(handicapped) kitchen and can roll pie crust. This is the best pie crust ever. I make it for every pie. Great tasting and so flaky. I would like bakers to try it just once.
thebluesredeemers
Vancouver, WA
12/21/2016
This is the best crust ever! Yes, it's complicated. But the result...never a soggy crust again.
mdrmdr
Boston, MA
11/21/2015
This recipe is overly complicated. Putting ingredients in large ziplock bags is really unnecessary and a waste for pie crusts. I wouldn't mind so much if the crust were better - not much flavor and not very flaky.
DianeSaucier
Evanston, IL
12/9/2013
4 forks for explaining why the recipe works. 2 forks for results. The dough was crumbly and took a lot of kneading in the plastic bag to form together. Not much taste and the texture was more like a cookie. I should have added more liquid. I used King Arthur all purpose flour - could explain the dryness.
pier2
Washington DC
12/3/2013
This was by far the most arduous and rewarding pie crust I've ever made! I followed some comments and added 1tbsp sugar to the mix to add a touch of sweetness (this was for a cherry-bourbon pie) and it was perfect! I let it relax overnight in the fridge and I was amazed at how easily it rolled out after letting it warm up just a touch (my fridge is evidently really cold). Not a single crack. It was tender, flaky, and buttery just as promised. Also, I love that Rose goes into the basics behind why she designed it this way. Baking is the chemistry of the cooking world and knowing why things turn out certain ways make the experiments much much easier.
meghead
Wichita, KS
11/27/2013
I followed the recipe exactly for a single crust. I did not have time to chill overnight so I only chilled for 45 minutes. It did shrink a little, even with pie weights. The crust also never got super golden when I baked it, but it still tasted good. I wouldn't say it was the best crust I have ever made but I really loved that it was super easy to roll out, which is usually a struggle for me.
yvonnechristine
Los Angeles, CA
11/11/2013
我不相信第一次配方,和resulting crust was hard to roll out. So be smart -- err on the side of using less water! Rose said that when the crust mixture holds together when pinched, you're ready to knead. I added one more tablespoon of water. Fortunately, I didn't make that mistake the next time and it was great. Chilling the dough for 45 minutes was okay, because my fridge is on the coldest setting. If you have time, I suggest you chill it longer, or put it in the freezer for a few minutes after it's rolled out and lining the pie plate. Truly a delicious and very flaky crust.
kmeyrowitz1
San Francisco
8/24/2013
*Used "Presto" Self-rising cake flour, omitted baking soda/salt (especially since I only had salted butter on hand, bah!) * Added about 1 1/2 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract since it's meant for an apple pie I'm cooking tomorrow (Lattice Apple Pie with Mexican Sugar,also on this site) :) * Tested a tiny portion of the crust directly after finishing (i.e. not overnight) - result? Tasty, flaky, as others have mentioned almost like a butter cookie. I'm VERY excited to try it for real tomorrow. Well worth the effort! Only suggestion is that for sweet pies, add even slightly more sugar and/or vanilla extract since it turned out VERY savory.
fieruby
Long Beach, NY
11/20/2012
This may become my go to crust, delightful and flaky and was commented on by all. A good sign indeed. Even if you have a favorite crust, try this one.
Anonymous
montgomery, Ohio
7/17/2012
I'm not a gourmet cook or anything - but wow, this is the best pie crust I've ever made!!! I used the first recipe that includes a little apple cider vinegar. I beat an egg and coated the crust bottom with it (after reading that tip somewhere). It kept the crust from getting soggy when I make my pies. I've used the crust to make apple pie and a lemon cream tart - fantastic. This is my go-to recipe for crusts from now on.
lemonlime
Richmond VA
5/15/2012
Beautiful! Mixed this by hand and it ended up lightly browned and flaky all over. It seems like a lot of steps, but don't skimp on time (resting overnight in the frig helps) and it will come out perfect.
mzmal007
los angeles, ca
11/13/2011
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