Making a crust from scratch doesn’t have to be intimidating. A few simple ingredients come together in only minutes and create a flaky crust that is the perfect foundation for your holiday pie and is sure to impress friends and family.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup ice water (be careful not to add ice to the dough)
Directions:
Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add chilled butter and cut into flour mixture with a pastry blender or pinch the butter into the flour with your fingers until butter pieces are roughly the size of small peas. Drizzle 6 tablespoons of ice water over mixture and stir together with a fork or spatula. Stir until large chunks of dough begin to develop, adding an additional tablespoon of water at a time. Once the crumbly dough holds together when pinched between your fingers, bring the dough together into a ball using your hands and the sides of the bowl. Divide dough into two parts and shape each half into a flat disk. Cover each disk with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough will keep refrigerated for several days or can be frozen for longer storage.
When ready to use, roll out chilled dough, place in pie pan and return to the fridge to chill.
For blind baking (or pre-baking): Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Poke holes in bottom and sides of chilled pie pan dough with the tines of a fork, line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in a 425 degrees F oven for 10 to 12 minutes until edges begin to brown. Remove pie weights and parchment and continue baking for 4 to 5 minutes until the bottom is dry but still pale. If fully baking crust, continue baking a few minutes longer until the bottom is lightly golden.
Tip: Keeping your butter and dough cold is important in making and baking a perfect, flaky crust. If your dough warms and becomes difficult to work with, chill it for at least 10 to 15 minutes before continuing.
