Perfect Pie Crust

Buttery, crisp and flaky, this is a good old-fashioned pie crust recipe, also known as pate brisee.

Scroll down for step-by-step recipe with photos and a short printable version.

Everyone has their own favorite pie crust. I like mine buttery, crisp, and flaky. This one is an old, simple recipe that I’ve been using for as long as I can remember and it never fails me. When it comes to pies, I use this recipe almost all the time (although there are occasions where I like to mix it up a bit).

Some recipes contain shortening in addition to butter, which results in a flakier crust, but I use all butter in my recipe for the best flavor. I don’t like to take shortcuts when it comes to my pies 🙂

I use this recipe more for pies than tarts. If you’re not familiar with the difference between a pie and a tart, then let me explain: pies have a crust on both the top and the bottom, while tarts have no crust on top. The recipe I use for tarts has a more cookie-like taste and crisp texture (don’t worry – that recipe will come soon 🙂 ).

It’s important to use very cold ingredients when making the dough. Cut the butter into small cubes, then put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. Same for the water and flour – measure the amount you need and place in the freezer to chill. For the water, you could alternatively add some ice cubes, but keep in mind that if you’ve already measured the water, ice cubes melt and will add more liquid.

Cold ingredients are important because the longer you work with the dough, the warmer and stickier it gets, the more the butter melts, and the harder it will be to work with it. That’s also why you must chill the dough for at least 30-60 minutes before rolling it out, and to be as quick as possible whenever you’re working with the dough.

Also, be careful not to over process the dough. The more you mix it, the more gluten is formed, which results in a tougher crust. We don’t want that; we want a dreamy, flaky, crisp texture.

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Here are a few photos of the process to show you how the dough is made. No fear, my friends!

Start by processing flour and sugar in a food processor for a few seconds until combined (Instead of food processor, you can do the whole process by hand, using a pastry cutter). Add butter and pulse until mixture becomes crumbly and resembles coarse meal (different size of butter pieces or some large pieces is fine), about 15 pulses.

Add 1/4 cup water and keep pulsing, adding more water as needed, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough isn’t dry and starts to clump together. Do not process to the point that a large ball of dough is formed, rather the dough should be quite crumbly with large clumps. Another way to check if it’s done, is to take a piece of dough and press it between your thumbs – the dough should stick well together without feeling dry or crumbly.

Turn the dough to a floured surface and form into a ball. It should come together easily without being sticky.

Divide ball to half.

Flatten each one slightly with your hands to form a 1-inch thick disc.

Wrap each disc with a plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before proceeding with your pie recipe. If you don’t want to use the dough right away, you can refrigerate it or for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to a month, then thaw it overnight in the fridge.