Easy Pie Crust Recipe (With Video and Step by Step)

The Trick to a Perfectly Baked Pie Shell

7:09

Prep Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 40 mins

Yield:

This is our favorite easy pie crust recipe. It’s buttery, flaky, and will win you rave reviews every time. If you’ve been looking for foolproof instructions on how to make pie crust, we have everything you need to know here. We walk you through the process with a step-by-step video, clear directions, and expert tips and tricks from our test kitchen editors.

It may be the only pie crust recipe you ever need! It’s perfect for pies and pastries of all kinds, everything from fruit, pumpkin, and cream pies to quiches, tarts, and so much more. We recommend you make extra batches in advance to freeze so you can prep ahead for special occasions.

Why We Love All-Butter Pie Crust

Does anything taste better than butter? While making an all-butter pie crust requires some precision in keeping everything cold and handling the dough carefully, we think it’s worth it. Pie dough can also be made with shortening or lard, which are a bit less temperamental than butter, but we think the flavor of all-butter pie crust just can’t be beat. It's our go-to.

How to Make Pie Crust in Advance

This dough keeps well in the refrigerator for up to three days and in the freezer for up to three months.

To store it: Pat the dough into 6-inch disks, one pie crust per disk, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

To thaw the dough: Place in the refrigerator overnight before proceeding with the recipe.

Never try to thaw pie dough in the microwave. It needs to thaw slowly and gently so the butter doesn’t leak out.

How to Roll the Pie Dough

There are all kinds of rolling pins to choose from, but our test kitchen editors prefer a French-style rolling pin—a wooden cylinder that’s tapered at the ends and is usually about 18 inches long. This design gives you more flexibility to roll the dough into any size and shape you like, without being limited by the width of a more classic American-style rolling pin.

Chilled is key: Make sure the dough is well-chilled before you start to roll it out.

Keep it cool: If it starts getting warm and difficult to handle, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes before transferring it to the pie plate and trimming and shaping it.

Directions

Combine dry ingredients:

Mix 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Cut 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces.

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Cut in butter:

With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.

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Mix in water:

Add 4 tablespoons ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more tablespoons). Do not overwork.

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Divide and chill dough:

Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.

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Fit dough into pan:

To form the pie shell, roll the dough on a floured surface into a 14-inch round. Wrap around rolling pin and carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate.

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Shape crust:

Fit gently into bottom and side of plate. Use kitchen shears to trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and seal to form a rim.

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Crimp crust:

Crimp rim with fingertips and knuckle. Repeat with remaining dough; wrap each with plastic, stack, and freeze.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do you bake pie crust before baking the pie?

Whether you bake pie crust before baking the pie depends on the kind of pie you are making. For double-crust pies (the kind with both a top and a bottom crust), the crust is never pre-baked. For single-crust pies (the kind with just a bottom crust), it’s necessary to pre-bake if the pie will not be baked after the filling is added. This is the case with many custard pies and cream pies, where the filling is made separately and then transferred to the prepared crust.
Should you use milk or water in pie crust?

You can use milk or water in pie crust, but you should follow what the recipe calls for. Most pie crust recipes call for water, which can be made ice-cold, and has a neutral flavor and reaction in the recipe. Some pie crust recipes do call for milk, which contains proteins and sugars that encourage browning.
What if my pie crust dough is dry or crumbly?

Pie crust dough that is dry or crumbly is usually the result of not adding enough liquid to the mixture. Liquid measurements in pie crust recipes are always approximate because the weather and the age and variety of your flour will affect the amount of moisture the mixture can absorb. Sprinkle ice water a teaspoon at a time onto a crumbly dough mixture. It may take less water than you think to turn the dough from dry to perfect.
Is this pie crust flaky?

Yes this pie crust is flaky. It is a shortcrust type pastry, but how you handle the butter and mix the dough will impact how flaky a pie crust is. Follow the recipe instructions and read our tips for mixing and rolling pie crust, and you’ll get a deliciously buttery, flaky crust every time.