Homemade Pie Crust and All the Tips

Homemade Pie Crust is a necessity for all your pies. This one has the perfect flaky texture, taste, and creates a beautiful shell for your handmade pie. Become a pie making pro with this recipe and helpful tips.

It’s pie season which means you’re in need of a good Homemade Pie Crust! This recipes is easy and creates a beautiful, delicious, perfect texture crust for all your pies. Try it out when you make Pear Pie, Dutch Apple Pie, or Blueberry Pie!

Pie Crust

Every pie needs an awesome crust and this pie crust recipe always produces a stellar pie. It’s made with both shortening and butter so you get a beautiful tender flaky crust that also tastes amazing.

How to make Pie Crust: 

1. In a medium size mixing bowl, mix the flour and salt together.
2. Cut in the butter and shortening into flour using a pastry cutter or two forks until it forms coarse pea size crumbs.
3. Sprinkle one tablespoon of the ice cold water at a time, giving it a gentle stir between each addition. Stop adding water once the dough starts to come together. Use your hands to press it all together.
4. Divide dough in two, shape each into a disc and then wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

How to roll out Pie Dough: 

1. Lightly sprinkle work surface with flour.
2. Remove one dough disc from the fridge and place chilled dough on the floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough, pressing the dough down in the center and out toward the top edge. Give the dough a quarter turn with each roll. Add flour underneath dough and to the rolling pin as needed so it doesn’t stick.
3. Keep rolling dough out until it forms a 12 inch circle.
4. To transfer the dough, place the rolling pin on top of the dough near one edge and pull the dough up over the pin as you slowly roll the pin over the dough. When you get to the middle of the round, lift up the rolling pin and transfer the dough to over the pie plate and lay the dough in it. Gently adjust as needed to center it.
5. Carefully press the dough into the bottom and edges of the plate. 
6. Add filling and roll out remaining dough.
7. Place on top of the filling. Cut off excess dough 1 inch from edge of pie plate.
8. Pinch dough together and roll the edges under itself.
9. Flute the edges by pressing the dough between one thumb and two finger or knuckles of your other hand.
10. Place the pie in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking.

How to Bake the Perfect Pie: 

1. Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and set a baking or pizza stone on it.
2. Preheat the oven with the stone in it.
3. Place your pie dish on a baking sheet and then place the baking sheet with the pie on it in the oven, on top of the stone.
4. Add a pie shield (or make a ring with foil) after 25 minutes of baking to prevent the edges from getting too browned.

Why use a stone? It helps the pie cook evenly so that the bottom crust cooks as fast as the top crust.

Tips for making Flaky Pie Crust: 

• Use COLD butter and COLD shortening (measure and place in the fridge the day before or place in the freezer for an hour). If too warm, it will start to melt and mix in with the flour before baking, leaving your crust void of that perfect flakiness.
• Don’t over work it! Big clumps of butter and shortening the size of a pea (or a little bigger) is the goal. If you dough looks all marbled then you’re doing it right.
• Use ICE COLD water. Before starting to make the dough, fill a bowl with ice and water. When it’s time to add the water, use your tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop it from the bowl of ice water.
• If making this in a warm home or during the summer, put the flour and salt into the mixing bowl and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes or fridge for 1 hour. This will ensure that the dough doesn’t get too warm while you’re working with it.
• Chill the dough! After shaping the dough into discs and wrapping them up, place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
• Roll the dough out quickly and on a cool surface (aka, don’t roll it out over the counter that has the dishwasher running.)

How to make a beautiful golden pie?

Before popping the pie in the oven, lightly brush the top and edges with an egg wash (one egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water or milk).

To add a little sparkle and crunch, sprinkle some coarse sugar on after brushing on the egg wash. You can use large sugar sprinkles or turbinado sugar.

Can I use Salted Butter?

YES! If you do, be sure to only add 3/4 teaspoon salt to the flour.

LOOKING FOR MORE PIE? CHECK OUT THESE:

• For a refreshing pie that require no oven, try No Bake Key Lime Pie!
• Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie is for the all the gooey cookie lovers out there.
• Easy Blueberry Pie Bars are perfect for feeding a crowd.
• Apple Pie is a classic that everyone loves!
• Fresh Peach Pie made with juicy, ripe peaches and a flaky, buttery pastry crust. 

TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS HOMEMADE PIE CRUST:

• 9-inch Pie Plate– This is the standard size pie dish that will last you forever. It’s great for pies as well as Cookie Cake.
• Pastry Blender – This is a necessity for making pastries like pie dough and comes in handy for crumb toppings.
• Rubber Bottom Mixing Bowls– The rubber handle and bottom of these bowls makes them the perfect mixing bowls. I use them all the time from mixing pancake batter to pie dough to cake batter. 

Print Recipe

Homemade Pie Crust

Homemade Pie Crust is a necessity for all your pies. This one has the perfect flaky texture, taste, and creates a beautiful shell for your handmade pie. Become a pie making pro with this recipe and helpful tips.

Prep Time10 mins

Chill Time1 hr 20 mins

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Servings: 10

Calories: 286kcal

Author: Garnish and Glaze

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• 1/2 cup shortening, cold, cubed
• 5-7 tablespoon ice cold water

Instructions

• In a medium size mixing bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Place bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes.
  
• Cut in the butter and shortening into the flour using a pastry cutter or two forks until it forms coarse pea size crumbs. (It's okay to have some larger than that.)
  
• Sprinkle one tablespoon of the ice cold water at a time, giving it a gentle stir between each addition. Stop adding water once the dough starts to come together. Use your hands to press it all together.
• Divide dough in two, shape each into a disc and then wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
• Roll out dough and use as directed in pie recipe. (See tips in blog post for baking the perfect pie.)

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Homemade Pie Crust

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Pie Crust

Amount Per Serving

Calories 286 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 24mg8%

Sodium 315mg14%

Potassium 33mg1%

Carbohydrates 24g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 284IU6%

Calcium 7mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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