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cherry pie

All-Butter Pie Crust

This crust recipe is perfect for any pie. Once baked it is crispy and somewhat flaky yet holds together very well. It has a light flavor that perfectly complements any filling.
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pie crust
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 24 minutes
Chilling: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 54 minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: 510kcal
Author: Sandy

Equipment

  • Food Processor or Pastry Blender
  • 9-inch Pie Dish
  • Rolling Pin
  • Plastic Wrap

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups Flour
  • 18 Tablespoons Cold Butter cubed
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Vanilla
  • 4 Tablespoons Ice Water
  • 2 Tablespoons Milk

Instructions

  • Start by adding the flour and butter to a food processor. Pulse until the butter has been cut into the flour and the mixture is crumbly.
  • Next, add the salt and vanilla and pulse until combined, about 5 seconds. With the processor running, stream the milk in through the feed chute and let it combine.
  • Slowly stream the water in, stopping when the crust has come together into a ball. If it is too dry, continue adding the remaining water. Do not add any additional water as it will become too sticky.
  • Once the crust has come together, remove from the processor. Divide into two equal pieces. Roll each section into a ball then slightly flatten into a disc about ¾” thick. Roll each disc in plastic wrap and place into the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
  • For a single-crust pie, begin by unwrapping one disc of dough after chilling. Place it onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin and roll it out into a roughly 12” circle. It’s okay if the edges aren’t perfect and if it isn’t a perfect circle.
  • Once rolled, pick one edge of the crust up and carefully drape it over the rolling pin. Loosely roll the crust around the rolling pin, then unroll it over a 9-inch pie pan. Gently press the crust down into the pan to remove any excess air from underneath it.
  • Fold the overhanging crust around the edges underneath itself to form a thicker border. Using your index fingers, gently press the pie crust together to form a ridge between your fingers. To create the next ridge, move your fingers over placing one into an already formed divet then press the crust with your other index finger together to create another ridge. Continue doing so until the whole top edge is pressed together into ridges. Use a sharp knife to cut off any excess crust from the top of the pan.
  • Repeat with second disc of dough if making a top crust. Seal them together after filling the pie. See the blog post for more details.

Blind Baking

  • To make the bottom crust for a no-bake pie or a pie without a top crust, you will need to blind bake it. Roll out one disc of dough, following above steps, and continue.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use a fork to poke a few holes into the base of the crust to allow air and steam to escape.
  • Place a piece of parchment paper down into the crust. The parchment needs to be large enough to line the bottom of the crust and fold up out over the top edge of the pan. Place a layer of pie weights or dry beans into the pan on top of the parchment.
  • Place the pan into the preheated oven to bake for 24 minutes. If you are using this crust for a pie that needs additional bake time, remove from the oven after the 24 minutes of baking and let cool on a cooling rack.
  • If you are making a no-bake pie filling, do not let the crust cool down. Instead, after having baked for 24 minutes, remove the pie weights and parchment and continue baking to let it brown up for about 6-10 minutes. Rotate the pan around halfway through to allow the crust to brown evenly.
  • Once sufficiently browned and golden, remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

Notes

  • This crust can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.
  • Pie weights are necessary for blind baking as they keep the crust from bubbling
    up which also allows the entire crust to keep its shape.
 

Storage

Unbaked pie crust may be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. Baked crust may be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 510kcal