Perfect Pie Crust
We all have those family recipes that are handed down to us from our grandmas or even their grandmas :) As I was thinking about my blog, I realized that I had never shared my grandma’s recipe for pie crust. Mainly because I am not a huge pie person. But that doesn’t mean my readers aren’t pie people and I surely can’t deprive you of this great recipe.
Just because I am not a pie person, doesn’t mean this recipe or any pie recipes I post aren’t delicious, because they are. It just means that if there was a piece of pie or a chocolate dessert in front of me, I will go for the chocolate purely out of preference. My grandma on the other hand, is a pie person for sure and this is her crust recipe that has been handed down to my mom and now to me. It is so easy to make and tastes delicious! For part of my graduation gift, along with the her big cookbooks, she gave me plastic pie crust bags for perfectly round pie crusts and a pie crust edge protector to keep the edges from burning. So I decided to put them to use :) So here you have our family’s favorite pie crust recipe.
Perfect Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup butter cold
- 1/4 cup ice water may need up to 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Combine flour, salt and sugar in a medium bowl.
- Cut in the butter with a fork until mixture is crumbly.
- Add cold water, starting with 1/4 cup, adding a little at a time, until perfect consistency is reached.
- Separate dough in half for two pies, or one top and one bottom for one pie.
- Roll out and place in pie pan. Flute edges. Poke holes in the bottom of crust prior to baking.
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes.
- This baking time is just for the crust, not a filled pie. However, the crust can be used for a filled by, the baking time will vary for each recipe. For a filled pie, do not poke holes in the crust.
Nutrition
Enjoy!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
I'm not a pie person either really and making scratch crust is never very high on my to-do list :) Like you, I'll usually reach for chocolate! But gosh, this crust is PERFECT and gorgeous and makes me want to be a pie person! pinned
Jackie Boggs
How much salt?? Not listed in ingredients?
Chef in Training
So sorry about that. It is 1/2 teaspoon salt :) fixed that now
Monica
What exactly is perfect consistency?
Ann
My thought too! I tend to make mine quite damp, put on floured surface and you can feel the consistancy with your hands as you work it on the floured surface. I used to have an awful time with crust trying to follow a recipe. Putting a sticky pile on a floured board has really helped me.
jen
Can you fill this crust before you bake it or do you have to bake it first?
Chef in Training
yes, you can fill it before you bake it. sorry for the confusion :) The baking time will just vary for a filled pie recipe.
Deidra
You cook the pie crust for 15 mins then add your pie fillings?
Chef in Training
you can fill it before you bake it. sorry for the confusion :) The baking time will just vary for each filled pie recipe. The baking time listed is if you are baking just the crust. I have updated the recipe to say so.
Jacquie Dolce
Love your take on several recipes I've read! But I've had that recipe for years and just didn't have the touch. My family was always warned before eating their piece of pie, I was not sure if the crust turned out to be cardboard or glue! Lol! Keep those recipes coming!
.p.s. Adding vodka (1/2 water, 1/2 vodka) works and chilling for 25 minutes once rolled out and in the pie plate works too!
Kim
I have never used that much water in pie crust before. A tablespoons maybe. Also only fill the pie crust before baking for certain pies. Pies like banana cream, or chocolate, you want to bake the crust first. Make sure to poke holes in the bottom first too, or it will bubble.
Chuck Weston
I am surprised there is no shortening.
Mary
The butter is the shortening.
Gary Brown
What kind flower use make pie crust
Chef in Training
I use all purpose flour
Christenna Carr
I've always made my own pie crust but this one sounds even better. Can't wait to try. Thanks for this.
bob muir
hi i don't see the size of pie dish you used for the amount of dough mix you have also what would be the ideal thickness of the pie crust, thanks
Maggie
I just tried this yesterday and something seemed off -- the dough was incredibly difficult to work with and had no integrity. I know I typically freeze the dough prior to use. Would that have helped?
MamaT
too much water in her recipe. Start with tablespoons, and make sure ALL of your ingredients are COLD when making any crust.
DonnaMaree Austin
I suppose you could just as easily make this in a food processor. But what about resting time in the fridge?
MamaT
Just use the Crisco recipe, but substitute 1/2 the shortening with butter. My 97 year old grandmother used that recipe forever. The instructions here are not clear at all. When making a filled pie, such as pumpkin or fruit, brush your crust with an egg wash to prevent a soggy crust, and refer to your pie recipe for baking times.
Angelina
Would I be able to use this as a pot pie crust as well?
pj
Yes it would be excellent for potpies, you might want to leave out the sugar for most of them
Laura
I really wanted to like this recipe because it looks perfect on the picture and seems easy enough. I think I will go back to my recipe that needs chilling before rolling. Sorry grandma, but this is not the crust for me. Fell apart on me and looks like my two year old daughter made the pie.
Tanis
This came at the perfect time! I've just moved to Europe and can't find lard to make my pie crust recipe. I can't wait to try this, thanks for sharing!
Jamie G
Oh my goodness, my grandma Macie's recipe is your grandmother's! My grandma lived in Iowa on a farm.....made the best pies, thank goodness she gave me all her recipes!
Vickie Maxwell
where do you get the thing to protect the crust edges while baking?
Sydney @Tastefully Frugal
I've made these crusts several times now and it is my go to recipe! I love it!! And my family does too. I saw there are some questions on perfect consistency... I mix mine until i can easily roll the dough into a ball without it being super wet. I usually put 2 ice cubes into a wet measuring cup and fill up to 1/2 cup with cold water and I use most if not all of the water. Thanks for the great recipe and Happy Thanksgiving!
Joann Anderson
Won't the cold butter be to hard to work into the flour mixture? Can it be room Temperature? I normally use ice cold Crisco
suzette
What brand of flour the best flour to be use in making pastries pie??
pj
I've never used sugar, will have to try that. It could be quicker if you shred the cold butter first
Anjali
How will you know when you're dough is the perfect consistency ? I don't want to add too much or too little water . Or make the dough to dry . Because I have had previous problems with my dough cracking , being to dry before.
Deborah Mielke
Do you chill your crust before rolling it out?
Tally
Sounds like a lot of butter
Gail Currin
Have you ever tried the recipe with the vinegar and egg. That is the best pie crust you will ever have. Try it.
Terry
I have decided to put bake a pie from scratch on my bucket list since I have never done it in all my 60+ years. I have a couple questions? How does one "flute" a pie crust? And .... Aren't all pies filled ones? (Re: "don't poke holes in the bottom crust of filled pies") And I thought of another....Do you have to add flour to roll out like a biscuit or just plain between plastic wrap?
Suzy
This is basically Martha Stewart's recipe for Pate Brisee, or the French version of pastry dough. (She uses 1 tsp. each of sugar and salt.) I've never been fond of it. My pie crust recipe uses a little vinegar and an egg...and only lard or shortening. Perfectly flaky and a so easy to roll out. It's never failed me. (check out Pioneer Woman, hers is basically the recipe I use)
Pumpkin Sheet Pie - Chef in Training
[…] a store bought refrigerated pie dough, but you could easily make a homemade recipe too. Here is my Perfect Pie Crust recipe that is […]
Kim
Hi, how thick should the crust be rolled out?
Thanks
Kim
Ana
Loved this pie crust. I used it to make hand pies and they turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Jenny
This is now my go to recipe for crust. Works perfectly every time. I also use Grass fed butter which makes a difference as well.
D Wride
I can’t see the ingredients because an ad is over it and I can’t delete the ad.
Chef in Training
Sorry about the trouble. I am working on updating my recipes in a new format so its not so confusing. I just updated this one. For any other recipes you come across in the old format, the ad isn't actually covering any ingredients up. It just pushes down the ingredient list but the first bullet point stays in its initial spot so it makes it look like it is. It is confusing which is why I am updating them to eliminate that. Sorry for that inconvenience.