What is the secret to a flaky crust?

The flakiness of a crust is a result of both the fat that you use and how much you work the fat into the flour before adding the water. Because of their higher melting temperature and unique structure , lard and shortening do make very flaky crusts.

What is a trick to making a good pie crust?

10 Tips for Making Perfect Pie Crust Use Very Cold Butter or Fat. ... Retain Some Chunks. ... Limit the Water. ... Make a Disk. ... Chill the Dough. ... Roll the Dough, Turn the Dough. ... Think Curbs, Not Driveways. ... Let the Dough Fall Into the Pan. More items... Oct 20, 2019

Is pie crust better with crisco or butter?

Butter for flakiness and flavor, and shortening for its high melting point and ability to help the crust hold shape . You can use butter-flavor shortening if desired. If you want to skip the shortening, feel free to try this all-butter pie crust instead.

What is the best flour to use in flaky pie crust?

What kind of flour makes the best pie crust? Well, not high-protein bread flour! Use that for your chewy bagels. What you want for pie is flour that yields a tender, flaky crust, which means medium-protein all-purpose flour or low-protein pastry flour .

Why put vinegar in pie crust?

The acidic properties of vinegar inhibit gluten , some will say. This theory proposes that once the water and flour are combined, gluten starts forming, causing the dough to grow tough. Adding an acid, the theory goes, stops the gluten in its tracks and rescues the crust from toughness.

Which is the best fat to use when making a flaky pie crust?

Vegetable Shortening As shortening is able to withstand higher temperatures and does not melt easily, it creates flaky and crisp yet tender pie crusts when used alone or in combination with butter.

What is one thing you should not do when making pie crust?

The Most Common Pie Crust Mistakes (And Ways To Avoid Them) The ingredients are too warm. ... The pie dough is overworked from excessive mixing or rolling. ... The pie dough isn't given enough time to relax and chill. ... The pie dough is shrinking down the sides of the pan. More items... Oct 18, 2022

What is the most important rule when making pie crust?

PIE DOUGH RULES As important as not overmixing is staying chilled , literally!! That means keeping all elements cold— your counter, ingredients, hands, heart (just kidding!). No, but seriously, cut up your butter into little cubes and chill them before you incorporate them into the flour.

What are the six ways to ensure a tender flaky pie crust?

7 pie crust tips for tender, flaky results every time 1Keep the dough ingredients cool. 2Use a light touch. 3Hydrate the dough (but not too much) 4Chill the dough. 5Keep the dough from sticking. 6Roll the dough out evenly. 7Relax. Nov 4, 2022

What makes flaky pastry flaky?

A flaky pastry is best described as a dough sheet dotted with multiple spots of fat between laminations . This arrangement forms a dough with discontinuous fat layers which bake up into a crisp and flaky pastry structure. Some bakers argue that 'blitz' or 'rough puff' pastry, in essence, belong to the flaky pastry type.

What is the science behind flaky pie crust?

Like all carby (non-celiac-friendly) baked goods, pie crust is based on a complex network of gluten proteins interacting with fantastic fats. To make crust flaky, you have to interrupt some of the connections in the gluten network and form air pockets —otherwise, it will end up tough and chewy.

How do you attain a tender and flaky crust?

Keep the dough ingredients cool The key to standard pie crust is having pockets of fat surrounded by flour. But if that fat starts to melt and mixes with the flour, it can start to develop gluten, which can lead to a tough crust. To prevent this, keep everything as cold as possible.

Easy Flaky Pie Crust Recipe (2024)

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Buttery, easy, flaky pie crust that will turn out perfect every time. Easy to make with just 5 basic ingredients!

Easy Flaky Pie Crust

This flaky pie crust is ridiculously easy to make, with just 5 ingredients, and it turns out beautiful and delicious every time.

Everyone needs a go-to, no-fail pie crust recipe, so I wanted to share mine with you. But first a back story.

One of the very first years I started cooking for the holidays, I made a French silk pie using a random butter crust recipe. For some reason, the pie crust had turned to some strange translucent, rubber-like consistency.

Everyone chewed on their rubber pie silently (including my hubby who was still my boyfriend at the time... it was the first thing I cooked for him! 🙈), until I finally broke the ice and mentioned that there was obviously something wrong with the pie! 😂

I have never used that recipe again. And much to my hubby's delight, I have found the perfect flaky pie crust recipe that turns out perfect. Every. Time.

It's flaky. It's delicious. It's easy. And best of all, it's NOT rubbery.

How to Freeze Pie Crust

This pie crust recipe is freezer friendly.

To freeze, follow recipe steps 1-3. Split dough in half and form into two discs. Cover each disc in plastic wrap then aluminum foil. Label and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Why I Use Shortening and Butter in My Pie Crust

As I mentioned earlier, I had a very bad experience with my very first butter pie crust. Since then, I have actually successfully made some that are a more normal consistency.

However, in my pie crust experimentation, I've found that shortening only and shortening and butter pie crusts taste better, hold their shape better, and are easier to work with (especially for beginners!) than all-butter crusts.

The butter and shortening crust is the best of both worlds. Flaky, buttery, and easy to work with.

For very beginners who are looking for the EASIEST possible pie crust to work with, use all shortening (you can just substitute 1:1 with the butter in the recipe). I don't even need to chill all shortening crusts to work with them. So simple.

Can You Use All Butter for Pie Crust?

Yes, you can. You can see above why I prefer not to.

But if you're a shortening hater and refuse to use it at all, here are some tips for dealing with butter crusts:

Butter crusts need to be chilled for at least 2 hours before handling, preferably overnight. (See the make ahead instructions in the recipe for how to store).
Flour, flour, flour your work area. All my butter crusts like to stick to the surface, and I often have to use my bench scraper to pull them up cleanly.

How Long Do You Bake a Pie Crust Unfilled?

To bake a pie crust without filling, line with parchment paper after rolling out and pricking the bottom with a fork. Fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake at 400°F for about 14-15 minutes.

How to Make Easy Flaky Pie Crust

In a large mixing bowl, cut shortening, butter, flour, and salt together with a pastry blender. (Photos 1-3)

Add cold water, and stir with a fork until it forms a ball. (Photos 4-6) If there's still flour at the end, add water, a teaspoon at a time. You want the dough to be stiff, not sticky, so be careful not to add too much water.

Divide in half, and form into discs. Cover in plastic wrap, and let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

If you need a little help with the next steps, check out my post for tips on rolling out pie crust.

More Pie Recipes You'll Love

Easy Oreo Crust - a simple no bake chocolate-y crust.
Southern Pecan Pie - a southern classic made with brown sugar and pecans.
Classic Apple Pie - everyone's favorite all-American pie. Serve it a la mode!
Coconut Cream Pie - light and creamy with bursts of coconut flavor.
French Silk Pie - rich, decadent, and smooth chocolate filling and topped with whipped cream.
Maple Pumpkin Pie - a classic pumpkin pie with a sweet maple twist.

Best Pie Crust Video

Easy No Fail Pie Crust Recipe

Buttery, easy, flaky pie crust that will turn out perfect every time. Easy to make with just 5 basic ingredients!

4.93 from 40 votes

Ingredients

▢ ½ cup shortening
▢ 4 tablespoons cold butter cubed or cut into small pats
▢ 2 ¼ cups flour
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt optional
▢ ½ cup cold water

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, cut shortening, butter, and flour together (add salt if you're using). A pastry blender is preferred, but as a newlywed without a well stocked kitchen, I have used a fork with success.
Then add cold water and stir with a fork until it forms a ball. If there's still flour at the end, add water, a teaspoon at a time. You want the dough to be stiff, not sticky, so be careful not to add too much water.
Divide in half, and form into discs. (If you're only using half, you can freeze the other half now.) Cover in plastic wrap. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
If you need a baked pie shell, bake in a 400°F oven for 14-15 minutes, or until the crust is cooked through and no longer translucent.

Notes

Nutrition facts are for ⅛ of the pie crust.

Be sure to use COLD ingredients. Let water with ice in it (remeasure before use!) and keep butter refrigerated until the last minute.
You can use this pie crust right away, but it's much easier to work with if you refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before use.
Rolling Out Pie Crust Tutorial- If rolling out your own homemade pie crust makes you nervous, stop right now! This easy step-by-step tutorial will tell you exactly what to do for a perfect pie crust!
Pretty Waysto Finish Pie Crust Edges - There are so many ways to finish pie crust once you're done rolling it out to make a truly special pie. Try some of these easy and fun ones this year!
Must Have Pie Making Supplies- If you love pies, you need these tools so you can make them all the time at home!
Before baking, prick bottom with a fork, gently line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans. This will prevent your crust from becoming puffy or misshapen.
Recommended equipment: pastry blender | glass pie dish | rolling pin |pie weights-(2)
Make Ahead: Prepare pie crust as instructed in steps 1-3. After covering in plastic wrap, cover in foil as well. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 3 months.
And be sure to check out my favorite pie recipes HERE

Nutrition

Did you make this recipe?I love seeing your creations. Snap a quick photo and mention @TheGraciousWife or tag #thegraciouswife on Instagram! Leave a STAR rating below!

UPDATE INFO: This post was originally published in August 2014. It has been updated with new pictures, tips, detailed instructions, and video in October 2019.

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