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The Perfect Pie Crust
There are certain recipes that every baker needs to have under his or her belt, recipes that are nearly if not completely memorized, the go to that you are known for. It’s the crusty bread recipe to pair with an Italian dinner, a chocolate birthday cake recipe, a pie crust recipe. Today, I give you my perfect pie crust. It is an all butter crust, very flavorful, tender and crisp.
Here’s what you need:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
Here’s some more stuff you’ll need:
Measuring cups & spoons
Food processor
Rolling pin
Pastry mat
Plastic wrap
A small helper friend for when your arms get tired
Cut up your butter into small, evenly sized chunks (see the video below for how I typically do this. After you cut it up, stick it either in the coldest part of your fridge or even in the freezer while you get everything else set up.
Get our your food processor. I have found this to be the quickest and easiest way to make pie crust. Nobody wants pie elbow.
Add the flour, salt, and sugar directly into the food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
Then get your butter out of the chiller and add it, one square at a time, while the processor is running until it somewhat resembles coarse corn meal. If your crust comes together too fast, your butter is too warm. Put it in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up. Having chilled butter gives your crust the texture you need for a nice, firm crust that won’t fall apart on the roll out. I can’t even tell you how many times this has happened to me because I get distracted and forget to re-chill my butter. 
Keep the food processor running and add 1/4 cup of ice water in a steady stream. I’ll fill a cup with ice water at the start of my process and let it get really chilly, then transfer a quarter cup worth into a small measuring cup with a pouring spout. Pour 1/4 cup in a slow, steady stream into the food processor chute. Keep adding the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together without being overly wet. Once you’ve made this dough a few times you’ll be able to eye ball when it’s ready, but add it slowly and stop between each addition to check consistency. To check it, just pinch a bit of dough together and see if it holds. It shouldn’t crumble at all; that will make for a very brittle crust that will be impossible to roll out. If it crumbles, keep adding water a little bit at a time until you get the perfect texture. Don’t process too long; heat from the machine will impact the dough. Pie crust needs to stay COLD!
A lot of recipes will tell you to immediately put the dough in the fridge, but if I’m using the dough right away for a pie I like to roll out right away. I don’t know if my fridge doesn’t have enough humidity or what, but I have had much better luck rolling out a smooth dough immediately. However, if you’re prepping in advance, separate the dough into equal parts, wrap in plastic wrap, form into a disc shape, and pop it in the fridge.
If you’re going to roll it out right away, sprinkle the counter liberally with flour or use a Silpat 
Separate the dough into two equal balls. Roll each out into a 13″ circle, adding flour to the surface as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Place one circle into the pie pan, trimming and tucking the ends under to create a smooth edge. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
For the other dough circle, lay plastic wrap down on a cookie sheet or cutting board (essentially, find a nice big flat surface you can fit into your fridge) and transfer the dough using whatever your favorite method of transfer is (the wrap over the rolling pin, the flip and slap, whatever). Fold the plastic wrap over the dough and pop the whole thing in the fridge. Keep both crust in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes while you prepare the innards of your pie.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
Instructions
- Cut up your butter into small, evenly sized chunks. After you cut it up, stick it either in the coldest part of your fridge or even in the freezer while you get everything else set up.
- Add the flour, salt, and sugar directly into the food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Then get your butter out of the chiller and add it, one square at a time, while the processor is running until it somewhat resembles coarse corn meal. If your crust comes together too fast, your butter is too warm. Put it in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up.
- Keep the food processor running and add 1/4 cup of ice water in a steady stream. Pour 1/4 cup in a slow, steady stream into the food processor chute. Keep adding the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together without being overly wet.
- If you're prepping in advance, separate the dough into equal parts, wrap in plastic wrap, form into a disc shape, and pop it in the fridge.
- If you're going to roll it out right away, sprinkle the counter liberally with flour or use a Silpat or Pastry Mat. Also liberally coat your rolling pin with flour. Separate the dough into two equal balls. Roll each out into a 13" circle, adding flour to the surface as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Place one circle into the pie pan, trimming and tucking the ends under to create a smooth edge. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. For the other dough circle, lay plastic wrap down on a cookie sheet or cutting board (essentially, find a nice big flat surface you can fit into your fridge) and transfer the dough using whatever your favorite method of transfer is (the wrap over the rolling pin, the flip and slap, whatever). Fold the plastic wrap over the dough and pop the whole thing in the fridge.
- Keep both crust in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes while you prepare the innards of your pie or store in the refrigerator for up to a day. Allow dough to sit on the counter for about an hour before rolling out - should be slightly cool but not hard. Crust will keep in the freezer for several months - thaw in the refrigerator before use.
