Making a homemade flaky pie crust from scratch doesn’t have to be intimidating. There is nothing more satisfying than making a pie from scratch yourself. Starting with a golden crust and ending with a delicious filling and all the things in between.
No matter if you need a single-crusted or a double-crusted pie, blind baked or not, this basic recipe can be used for so many pie variations.
Pies are a little more time consuming, but that shouldn’t scare you, it should excite you because the result is worth the effort. The key to a killer flaky pie crust is to keep the dough as cold as possible. It prevents the fat from melting. If the fat is too warm, it results in a hard crust instead of a nice tender, flaky crust.
Tools & Equipment
- 20-23cm / 8-9-inch pie or tart pan
- Bench scraper
- Large bowl
- Liquid measuring cup
- Parchment paper
- Pastry cutter
- Pie weights
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- Silicone spatula
- Tablespoon
Recipe Tips
Pie Crust: The recipe is enough for 2 single-crusted pies or 1 doubled-crusted pie. If you only need 1 crust, you can freeze the 2nd half or half the recipe.
Water: You will need 80-120ml of water. This depends on the flour you use. According to the protein content, your flour can absorb more or less water. Besides, the amount of water can vary depending on weather and humidity. Do not add too much water. Stop when the dough starts to form large lumps.
Chilling: You need to chill the crust in the fridge, as it will shrink too much if you do not chill it before blind baking. This is the most important step and therefore key for a perfect pie crust.
Ingredients for Homemade Flaky Pie Crust
Step by Step Guide – How to Make Homemade Flaky Pie Crust
Make the Dough
Mix together flour and salt. Add the butter and shortening and use a pastry cutter to cut it into the mixture until you have coarse meal (about the size of a pea).
Measure 120ml of ice water. Drizzle in 15ml of ice water at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula after each addition. Do not add more water than you need, see recipe tips above. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and shape into a ball.
Divide in half using a bench scraper. Shape each half into a disc of about 2,5cm / 1-inch. Cover each disc tightly in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Roll out the Dough
Lightly dust a piece of parchment and your rolling pin with flour. Roll out the dough: Start in the center and work all the way around until you have a circle about 30cm / 12-inch in diameter. Place the dough into the pan and press it down with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth. Put the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Bake the Pie Crust
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and line with parchment. Fill with pie weights. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed. Bake until the edges of the crust begin to brown, for about 15 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and carefully lift out the parchment paper with the weights. Poke holes all around the bottom crust with a fork. Continue baking until the bottom crust is golden brown, for about 15 minutes longer.
Storage: You can prepare the pie dough ahead of time, then store in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Therefore wrap the disc in plastic, after step 5. Thaw in the fridge for a couple of hours before using it in your pie recipe.
Once baked, you can freeze the pie crust in the pan, tightly wrapped with plastic, for up to 3 months.
My Summary for Homemade Flaky Pie Crust
Difficulty: The process is actually quite simple. However, it takes some practice to get a perfect looking pie crust. But even if it doesn’t look perfect, it certainly tastes delicious. So don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t look perfect the first time. It will get better with every bake.
Taste & Texture: This pie crust tastes deliciously buttery and the texture is so flaky. A dream.
Time: The dough is prepared in 15 minutes. After that it needs at least 2 hours to chill in the fridge, this step is important. Rolling out the dough takes about 5 minutes, then it goes back into the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Baking time is about 30 minutes. This means that the total time is at least about 3 1/2 hours.
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