Buttery, Flaky Double Pie Crust
A buttery, flaky crust is the cornerstone of any homemade pie. With a few simple ingredients & helpful tips, you'll master a a double crust for all your baking ambitions.
Servings: 0
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into ¼ inch cubes and chilled* 1 cup equals 2 sticks
- 2 ¼ cups flour all-purpose, unbleached
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 8-10 tbsp ice cold water
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt until well combined. Add the cold butter and pulse (about 20 times) until it resembles coarse sand and the butter is in bits no bigger than a pea (don't overwork it, some chunks will ensure a flaky crust).
- Add 4 tablespoons of ice water around the perimeter of the contents in the food processor, pulsing roughly 5 times. Continue to add 1 tablespoon of ice water, pulsing 4-5 times between each addition, until the dough begins to slightly clump together. You'll know it's ready if you place some of the dough between two fingers and press and it stays together. Check after 7 tablespoons, you may not need all 10.
- Form a rough ball of dough and divide it evenly in half, weighing each half helps. Form each half into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight, to ensure it is quite cold.
- Working with one disc of pastry at a time, remove from the refrigerator and wait 2-3 minutes to make it easier to roll out. Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin.
- Using a rolling pin, begin to roll out the disc into a circle. Roll out and away from yourself, then pick up the rolling pin to start from the center again. Keep even pressure to make sure the edges are the same thickness as the center. Every few rolls, turn the dough about a quarter turn to ensure it's not sticking, dust lightly with flour if it is. Roll it until it's about 12 inches across (unless otherwise noted) and about 1/8 inch thick.*
- Transfer the dough to the pie pan by rolling it up on to the rolling pin and rolling it out into the pie plate, or gently pick it up and transfer it to the center of the pie plate. Lightly press the sides to the plate and prick the bottom and sides with the tines of a fork to help release steam and prevent the crust from bubbling.
- Bake as directed by the recipe you are using. Note that most fruit-filled pies do not need to be par-baked. Other pies may call for par-baking which simply means to bake the bottom crust for 10-15 minutes before filling it and continuing to bake.
Notes
*If you only have salted butter, omit any additional salt in the recipe.
HELPFUL TIPS:
Cold butter, a chilled dough, and ice cold water are essential. Make sure not to overwork the mixture when using the food processor, or by hand, as bits of fat are essential to a flaky crust.
Cover and chill the pie crust in the pan before you fill and bake it, this will help keep the shape and size when it bakes.
Worried about a crust that might slip if par-baking? Weigh down the crust so it doesn’t puff up in the center or slip down. To do so, gently line the pie dough with parchment paper first, then add some pie weights.
Pie Crust Ideas:
See these amazing double crust ideas from our friends at Martha Stewart.