Pie Crust

The key to pie crust is keeping all the ingredients cold, adding just enough moisture to make it all come together, and mixing it as little as possible. It must rest at least an hour and overnight is better – the dough needs to fully hydrate and relax so it won’t shrink when you bake it.

Ingredients

  • 142 grams unsalted butter, cold

  • 150 grams all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • ¹/₄ teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 2-4 tablespoons (30-60 grams) ice water

Directions

  • Grate the butter on the large holes of a box grater and freeze the “flakes” at least 15 minutes. (You can do this well ahead of time and keep the butter in a well-sealed ziplock bag in the freezer for up to a month or two.)

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.

  • Add the frozen butter flakes to the flour mixture and using your fingers, quickly toss and break up the butter a bit more – you are aiming for a crumbly mixture.

  • Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour mixture and toss well with a fork. The mixture will start to clump and if you pinch a bit it will stick together. If it is very dry, use a bit more water, evenly sprinkled over the mixture, and toss some more with the fork. When it seems that it will hold together when compressed, dump the mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and using your hands gently but firmly press the mass into a disk about 1-inch thick. Wrap it tightly in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour – overnight is fine!

  • When ready to roll out the crust, remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a well-floured surface. Rolling on a piece of parchment or double thick plastic wrap can help keep things clean and movable. Dust the top of the dough well with flour and then using the rolling pin, press into the dough every inch or so to flatten it a bit before you start to actually roll. When rolling, start in the center of the disk and roll toward the edge, but not over the edge. Work your way in sections around the disc, lifting the dough off the rolling surface every roll or two so it doesn’t adhere to the table. Roll your dough about 1/8-inch thick – more importantly, it should be a large enough diameter to come up over the sides of the pie plate and hang over the edge by about ³/₄-inch.

  • If at any point the dough seems to be soft and floppy, place it on a plate or tray and freeze or refrigerate a few minutes until it firms up.

  • Proceed to bake according to your chosen recipe.