Flaky Homemade Pie Crust Recipe | made with butter!
This easy homemade pie crust recipe is perfectly flaky, calls for just four simple ingredients, and takes less than 10 minutes to make! This butter pie crust recipe is perfect for any pie filling and makes enough for two pie crusts. Plus, I’ll share some of my favorite tips and tricks for turning out the perfect pie crust every time!
Pie crust in my house is a pretty big deal. We love pie—eating pie, making pie—any kind, for any reason. We love everything about pie, and pie is kind of our thing. I don’t mean to brag, but my family is known for its pies, especially my mum’s homemade apple pie.
And any time we meet someone who doesn’t like pie, we all say the same thing: “You just haven’t had a good pie.” And as any pie lover knows, a good pie starts with a good crust.
Making pie crust, however, can often be a daunting task, even for the biggest of pie lovers. I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle to make good pie crusts; pretty much everyone in my family—even those who don’t bake—can turn out a better pie crust than I can, any day of the week.
This might lead one to ask, “Why the heck am I writing this post?” To be perfectly honest, I’m writing it because I’m the one with a blog. But rest assured, I’m not relying on my own pie-crust-making abilities to write this recipe.
My mum is an expert pie maker, and not only can she make the best flaky pie crust in the world, but she can do it with her eyes closed. All the tips and tricks below, as well as the recipe itself, come from my mum. She has been more than happy to share her pie-crust-making secrets with me over the years, and she’s more than happy to share them here as well!
Making your own homemade pie crust might take a bit of practice, but I can assure you it’s also much easier than you think! The easy pie crust recipe below takes little time to master, is as foolproof as they come, and is perfect for all your favorite pie recipes.
How to Make Homemade Pie Crust with Butter
This recipe makes two pie crusts.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- sea salt
- unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks. Be sure to use cold butter!
- cold water, make sure it’s cold!
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the flour and sea salt and whisk to combine.
Add the chunks of butter, then using your hands or a pastry cutter, gently work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Add 4–5 tablespoons of water and mix with a fork, adding more water a little at a time as needed, until the mixture comes together. Be careful not to add too much water or over-mix the dough. The pie crust dough should just stick together; when pressed, it shouldn’t be smooth or soft.
Divide the dough into two equal pieces, and press each piece into a ball with your hands. Then roll them out one at a time on a lightly floured surface until they are roughly 1/4-inch thick, or large enough to fit in your desired pie dish (I usually use a 9-inch pie pan). This crust can be used for any of your favorite pie recipes!
Tips and Tricks for Making Homemade Pie Crust
Always use cold butter:
When making traditional pie crust, always—always—use cold butter! Cold butter makes a flaky crust. If you use room-temperature butter, your pie crust may become too soft and sticky.
Add the water a little at a time:
The biggest mistake I make when making homemade pie crust is being impatient and adding too much water. If your mixture seems too dry with only 5 tablespoons, add more water one tablespoon at a time—never more—and mix. Adding too much water is easy to do, but the key to a flaky crust is a crumbly mixture, and the less water you use, the better.
Roll your crust out carefully:
A perfect flaky pie crust starts with slightly crumbly dough. This can make rolling out your crust a little tricky or not what you’re used to. When you’re first learning how to make pie crust, work slowly and gently when rolling and transferring the dough. Take your time and don’t rush. Working too fast might cause the dough to rip or break, and using too much flour can dry out the dough and cause it to fall apart.
Making homemade pie crust might seem intimidating at first, but I promise it gets easier each time! It’s easy to master with just a little practice, and if you stick with it, you’ll be turning out the perfect pie crust in no time.
Pie Crust Troubleshooting
Here are a few common problems people run into when making and baking homemade pie crust, what they mean, and how to fix them next time.
My crust isn’t flaky.
If you’re following the tips above and still struggling to get a flaky crust, you and I have a lot in common! It’s very likely that you’re still adding too much water. You’d be surprised how easy it is to overhydrate pie dough. Next time, try adding the water in very small amounts—less than 1/2 tablespoon, even—until the dough just barely holds together. You can even try rolling out your crust when you think it’s still a little too dry. Sometimes the dough doesn’t need more water; we just think it does!
My bottom crust keeps breaking apart from the edge.
This is usually a temperature issue. If you are chilling your crust, it may be too cold, which causes it to break as it bakes. Allow chilled dough to warm up slightly before rolling and baking. This can also happen if the dough is too warm and the butter has started to melt. If your dough feels too warm, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes before rolling and baking.
My pie isn’t golden on top.
This is an easy fix! To make a perfectly golden pie crust, simply brush the top crust and edges with an egg wash before baking.
My crust is too soft or sticky.
This is likely caused by either too much water or butter that was too soft. Try adding less water next time. If your butter was soft or room temperature, that can also make the dough sticky. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before rolling and baking.
Sweet and Savory Pies To Make With Homemade Pie Crust!
Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
Rhubarb Pie – Made with fresh rhubarb!
Homemade Apple Pie with McIntosh Apples
Fresh Strawberry Pie | no-bake Jello-free recipe!
The Best Homemade Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 tbsp cold butter cut into pieces
- 5-8 tbsp water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and sea salt and whisk to combine.
- Add the chunks of butter, then using your hands or a pastry cutter, gently work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add 4–5 tablespoons of water and mix with a fork, adding more water a little at a time as needed, until the mixture comes together. Be careful not to add too much water or over-mix the dough. The pie crust dough should just stick together; when pressed, it shouldn’t be smooth or soft.
- Divide the dough into two equal pieces, and press each piece into a ball with your hands. Then roll them out one at a time on a lightly floured surface until they are roughly 1/4-inch thick, or large enough to fit in your desired pie dish (I usually use a 9-inch pie pan). This crust can be used for any of your favorite pie recipes!
Notes
Tips and Tricks for Making Homemade Pie Crust
Always use cold butter:When making traditional pie crust, always—always—use cold butter! Cold butter makes a flaky crust. If you use room-temperature butter, your pie crust may become too soft and sticky. Add the water a little at a time:
The biggest mistake I make when making homemade pie crust is being impatient and adding too much water. If your mixture seems too dry with only 5 tablespoons, add more water one tablespoon at a time—never more—and mix. Adding too much water is easy to do, but the key to a flaky crust is a crumbly mixture, and the less water you use, the better. Roll your crust out carefully:
A perfect flaky pie crust starts with slightly crumbly dough. This can make rolling out your crust a little tricky or not what you’re used to. When you’re first learning how to make pie crust, work slowly and gently when rolling and transferring the dough. Take your time and don’t rush. Working too fast might cause the dough to rip or break, and using too much flour can dry out the dough and cause it to fall apart. Making homemade pie crust might seem intimidating at first, but I promise it gets easier each time! It’s easy to master with just a little practice, and if you stick with it, you’ll be turning out the perfect pie crust in no time.
Pie Crust Troubleshooting
Here are a few common problems people run into when making and baking homemade pie crust, what they mean, and how to fix them next time. My crust isn’t flaky.If you’re following the tips above and still struggling to get a flaky crust, you and I have a lot in common! It’s very likely that you’re still adding too much water. You’d be surprised how easy it is to overhydrate pie dough. Next time, try adding the water in very small amounts—less than 1/2 tablespoon, even—until the dough just barely holds together. You can even try rolling out your crust when you think it’s still a little too dry. Sometimes the dough doesn’t need more water; we just think it does! My bottom crust keeps breaking apart from the edge.
This is usually a temperature issue. If you are chilling your crust, it may be too cold, which causes it to break as it bakes. Allow chilled dough to warm up slightly before rolling and baking. This can also happen if the dough is too warm and the butter has started to melt. If your dough feels too warm, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes before rolling and baking. My pie isn’t golden on top.
This is an easy fix! To make a perfectly golden pie crust, simply brush the top crust and edges with an egg wash before baking. My crust is too soft or sticky.
This is likely caused by either too much water or butter that was too soft. Try adding less water next time. If your butter was soft or room temperature, that can also make the dough sticky. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before rolling and baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
