Basic, Easy Pie Crust

Okay, okay…. I will admit I used to shamelessly use those pre-made pie crusts that you can buy at any grocery store.  I would defend these crusts and tell people they couldn’t tell the difference and it was “so easy”.  But, we all know, while they are easy, they really don’t taste that great… now, do they?  I’ve since found the perfect recipe that is so easy and tasty, AND you can even premake it and have it in your fridge when you need it most.  I usually make 2-3 batches of this recipe about a week or two before Thanksgiving and Christmas so that I can easily make a pie or two a night until the ‘big day’. I’ve now been using this method for about 3-4 years and I am totally reformed!  I found out many years later, that a certain sister never asked me to bring pies because I used those pre-made pie crusts… how sad was I?

This is adapted from the Mary Engelbreit’s Sweet Treats Dessert Cookbook (which is very good, by the way!). Makes 2 pie crusts, or one double crust pie.

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp Sugar (can be omitted for savory pies, like quiche)

½ tsp salt

1 cup of cold butter*, cut into ½ inch cubes

5-6 Tbsp very cold water

* Unsalted butter is best, but really, I use regular butter mostly because I don’t always have the unsalted on hand… I still question WHY I would use unsalted and then add salt…? I know all the reasons that cooks give, but I really don’t think there’s really that much difference.

There are a couple ways of preparing this, either by food processor or by hand.  By hand is really better, because the less you handle the pie crust, the more tender it will be, BUT, that being said, a food processor is waayyyy easier, and anyway you do is way more tender and better than the store bought pre-made stuff.

If you decide to use your food processor, be sure to use ‘pulse’ to mix it and that way you can control just how much mixing the pie crust gets!

If you don’t have a food processor, this is quite easy by hand too!

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Use a pastry blender, or your finger tips to cut in the butter until the crust resembles coarse corn meal. Drizzle in about 5 Tbsp of the water and mix, or until it starts to come together in clumps.  Use one more Tbsp of water if its not coming together. 

Divide the dough in half and place on a large piece of plastic wrap… it will look a little crumbly still, but that’s OK! If you can make it stick together with your fingers (as shown above) it will be OK! Pull up the edges of the plastic wrap and smash the dough into a disk shape. Make sure each disk is well wrapped and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to a week. The reason you need to refrigerate the dough is to develop the gluten content which helps it to form and stick together… just do it, it’s only 30 minutes.

How simple is that?

Baking the crust…

Take the crust out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you are ready to roll it out. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes for a pre-baked unfilled crust, otherwise follow the instructions for your regular pie recipe.