How to Make the Most Perfect Pie Crust

I debated calling this post, "Pie Crust for Dummies" because, well....I didn't want to offend anyone.  But that's exactly what this post is- a step by step guide in how to make the most perfect pie crust in the entire world for those who want to learn.

Them's fighting words lady!

But trust me, I'll deliver.  I've been making homemade pies since the husband and I first started living together, way back in the 2000's.  Holy Bucket but that was like 15 years ago!!!  Trust me when I say that I've had some seriously epic fails.  EPIC.  You see- my Mom doesn't cook or bake and while my Dad is an expert cookie maker, I have never actually seen anyone bake a pie.  From scratch.  So I had NO idea what I was doing.  Yikes!

This guide will give you the basics as well as my tips learned over the past 15 years.  If you follow it, you will have the MOST PERFECT PIE CRUST and seriously WOW your friends and family.  My apple pies are legendary y'all!


Pie Crust Recipe
*makes 2 pie crusts

2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cups unsalted butter, cold
10-12 tablespoons cold water


Step 1:

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl & make sure they are mixed well.

Step 2:

Cut your butter into small cubes (doesn't need to be perfect) and add to the dry ingredients.  Use a pastry hand mixer and mush away.  Do NOT use a fork.  Yes, you can use one but an actual pastry cutter works so much better.  Invest the $10 bucks already....

Tip- I leave my butter in the fridge until the last possible moment.  The colder your ingredients are, the better!

Step 3:

Once your butter and dry ingredients are combined, you'll add in your cold water.  I immediately begin by putting in 10 tablespoons but most times I end up needing all 12.  Start with the 10 and see what happens.  You do NOT want things to end up watery.

Tip- Your water should be ice cold.  If you want to, you can even make a cup full of water and ice and take your tablespoons from here.  The colder the better!

Step 4:

Mix until combined and just beginning to clump together.  You will have flour down at the bottom of your bowl but as long as the majority of your dough combines, that's good enough!

Mix until this point- just when it starts to
clump together.

Now use your hands to quickly form the clumps of dough into a ball.  STOP when you get a ball formed- for the love of God, do NOT over mix!

Your dough should now look like this.

Step 5:

Cover your dough in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge.  This is the step most people don't do but I do this for a few reasons-

#1- It keeps my dough nice and cold.  Which if you've noticed, is the true secret to the most perfect pie crust ever.

#2- I am typically prepping the inside contents (ie apples, fruit etc) for the pie while my dough is hanging out in the fridge.

#3- Many times I prep my dough ahead of time and leave it in the fridge for 24-48 hours.  Let's face it, I'm busy and sometimes I simply don't have the time to make an entire pie from scratch that day.

Step 6:

When you are ready to assemble your pie, remove the dough from the fridge and roll out.  This recipe makes 2 pie crusts, so cut in half before you roll if you need a top crust and a bottom crust.  Or if you're using this for a larger pastry and need the double pie crust, then just roll out as one.

Tip- be liberal with the flour so your dough doesn't stick and roll it as little as possible.  The more you "work" your dough, the less flaky it will become.


So there you go.  The MOST PERFECT PIE CRUST ever.  Keep the ingredients simple, touch it as little as possible and keep everything cold.  If you do all this, you'll have seriously the very best pie ever!

Enjoy!