Homemade Pie Crust

This homemade Pie Crust recipe includes a full tutorial for making perfect pie crust every time! The BEST tender, buttery, and flaky pie crust recipe, and it’s so easy!

Ingredients Homemade Pie Crust

▢2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

▢1 teaspoon kosher salt

▢6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter

▢3/4 cup vegetable shortening chilled

▢1/2 cup ice water

Instructions Homemade Pie Crust

• Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add ice cubes to a measuring cup and fill with ½ cup cold water. Set aside.
• Add fats: Grate frozen butter into the bowl, or cut it into small pieces. Add chilled shortening and use a pastry blender or fork to cut the fats into the flour until well combined and resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add ice water a spoonful at a time, mixing until the dough begins to come together. Be careful not to over mix, and you may not need all of the water.
• Gently mold the dough into a ball, then divide it into 2 equal pieces. Press each piece gently with your hands into a flat disk. 
• Refrigerate: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours, or freeze for 30 minutes. 
• Roll out Crust: Dampen a large towel or cloth and lay it flat on your countertop. Place a large piece of parchment paper over it. Lightly flour both sides of the pie dough disc and set it on the parchment paper. Use your rolling pin to gently press the pie dough out into a large circle. Always start at the center of the crust, and work outwards. You want your dough to be thin, and about ½ inch larger then the diameter of your pie dish.
• Place in pie pan: Gently turn the dough into your pie dish and remove the parchment paper. Settle it smoothly into the bottom and sides of the pan. Trim and crimp the edges of the crust.
• Fill with desired pie filling, or blind bake the crust for recipes that require a baked pie shell.

To Blind Bake Homemade Pie Crust:

1. Place a large piece of parchment paper into the bottom of unbaked crust. Pour some dry beans, rice, or pie weights on top and smooth into an even layer.
2. Bake at 375° F for 15-20 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and lift the parchment paper and weights out of the crust. Prick the the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, then return the pie to the oven to bake until lightly golden, about 10-15 more minutes.

Notes

This recipe makes 2 pie crusts, perfect for recipes that require a top crust, 1 use and freeze the second crust for another day.

Freezing Instructions:

• To freeze pie crust dough: Prepare the pie dough, wrap the dough discs tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freeze ziplock bag.  Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator before rolling out.
• To freeze unbaked pie crust: roll out pie crust and place in a freezer safe pie dish. Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before filling or baking.
• To freeze baked pie crust: Allow blind baked pie crust to cool completely. Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 196mg, Potassium: 30mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 175IU, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 1mg