ALL-BUTTER FLAKY PIE CRUST

Pie crust, so many people buy that stuff from the store, and it is ok, but not nearly as good as a homemade pie crust.  There are so many pie crust recipes out there, but this all-butter crust is my favorite. 

Keep it simple when making pie crust.  It is not rocket science.  It is literally two ingredients from paper mache.  The crust can make or break the pie.  If you work it too much it will be tough, if you stretch it it will shrink. There are a few tricks to know when working with pie dough.  

In this recipe I have listed the tips at the bottom so you can make a perfect pie crust. This pie crust is truly the most flaky pie crust I have ever made.

Pie crust is so easy to make if you know the tricks and I have given those to you in this recipe. Pie crust is literally two ingredients different from paper mâché. Try to make your own pie crust.  Make sure to read my tips in the recipe.  It is so easy if you just know the trick and tips.

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Sugar (optional)

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, very cold, almost frozen

4 to 8 Tablespoons Ice Water

DIRECTIONS

1. Add 1 ½ Cups flour (the other flour will be added later), salt and sugar (optional) to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse two to three times until the dry ingredients are combined.

2. Cut the cold butter into cubes and put them in the flour mixture and pulse until a dough or paste begins to form. 

3. Scrape the bowl to redistribute the flour-butter mixture then add remaining 1 cup of flour.  Pulse 4 or five times until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

4. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl then sprinkle with ice water, a Tablespoon at a time. Mixing with a rubber spatula, press the dough together into itself. Add water until the dough is all together, but not wet. 

5. Form the dough into a ball and cut that ball in half.  This makes a two crust pie. Form each ball into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. This dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.  To use it you take it out and let it thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

DIRECTION TO MAKE DOUGH BY HAND:

1. Add 1 ½ Cups Flour, salt and sugar (optional) to a medium bowl. Stir to combine. 

2. Scatter ice cold butter cubes over flour and mix to coat the butter with the flour mixture. 

3. Cut butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter or fork, to a texture that looks like coarse cornmeal. 

4. Add the 1 cup of flour that is remaining and cut into the first mixture until there are pea sized pieces. Sprinkle the ice cold water over this a Tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together but is not wet.

5. Chill this as per the instructions above. 

   PIE CRUST TIPS:

6. Never stretch a pie crust to fit or it will shrink twice as much when it bakes.

7. Spray your pie plate with a cooking spray so the pie pieces come out easy once they are baked. 

8. Work with the dough as little as possible, keeping everything as cold as possible. 

9. Substitute a Tablespoon of Vodka for a Tablespoon of water for a flakier crust.

10. To place the pie dough into the pie plate, once rolled to size, roll it back on your rolling pin and unroll over the pie plate.

11. I personally do not use the Vodka as this crust is flaky enough.