Go Back

Homemade Pie Crust Recipe

A simple recipe and method for homemade pie crust.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Appetizer, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 2 pie crusts

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter, cold (2 sticks)
  • 3/4 cup ice cold water
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon pure cane sugar, (optional) for sweet pies

equipment:

  • bendable cutting board or large plate, cheese grater, whisk, table knife, fork, pie plate, rolling pin

Instructions
 

  • With butter straight from the fridge, use a cheese grater to grate the butter into small pieces onto a bendable cutting board or large plate. Place grated butter back into the fridge.
  • Measure out water and place a couple ice cubes in it.  Set aside. 
  • In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sea salt and sugar.  Use a table knife to scrape the cold butter off the cutting board and into the flour mixture. Using your hands, toss the small pieces of butter in the flour mixture. This should coat the butter in flour. 
  • Add in the water (using only 3/4 of a cup if your ice cube has melted). Use a fork to mix together the water into the butter/flour mixture.  There should still be large bits of butter but the mixture should come together into a large ball. Use your hands to get the flour in the bottom of the bowl into the dough. Knead the dough inside the bowl a few times, just to get all of the flour incorporated. (You may need a tablespoon or so more of water or flour). 
  • Split the dough ball in half and wrap each ball tightly in plastic wrap.  Press the ball down gently into a disk then refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, overnight, or freeze until ready to use.  
  • When you're ready to roll out your dough, let your dough ball sit out at room temp just for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, get out a large cutting board or wood surface and a small bowl of flour. Lightly dish the cutting board with flour. Unwrap the dough and sprinkle both sides with flour. 
  • Roll out the dough with the rolling pin rotating the circle and flipping frequently.  Sprinkle with flour every time you flip the dough over. Press in the edges to keep a circle shape. Once it is about 13 inches in diameter fold the dough in half then in half again (so it's a triangle shape). 
  • Transfer this dough to the pie plate and unfold. Roll the excess dough that's hanging over the edges under, then, crimp the edges using two fingers around your knuckle or use a fork to press lines around the edge of the crust. Use a fork to poke 5-6 times in the bottom of the crust. Refrigerate for 1 hour before filling and baking.  Brush with an egg wash around the edges of the dough before baking. 

Notes

This recipe makes two pie crusts. I always make the full recipe and if I doing need two at the time, I freeze one for later. Defrost overnight in the fridge the night before using.