Home Made Flaky Butter Pie Crust
This flaky Butter Pie Crust recipe is everything you need to know for making the very best pies at home!
Ingredients
Pastry
- 380 g all-purpose flour plain flour
- 20 g granulated sugar optional
- 1 tsp salt
- 250 g unsalted butter chilled and cubed
- 60-80 g iced water start with 60g first
Egg wash
- 1 large egg 55g
- 15 g milk
Instructions
Making pie dough using a food processor
- Combine dry ingredients - Place the flour, optional sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Add butter - Add the cold, cubed butter to the food processor. Pulse until the butter forms pea-sized pieces, about 20 pulses.
- Add water to form dough - Gradually add 60g (4 tbsp) of iced water while pulsing the food processor. The dough should start to clump. Test it by squeezing a small amount in your hand. if it holds together without crumbling, it’s ready. If it’s still crumbly, add more iced water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it holds together.
Making pie dough by hand
- Combine dry ingredients - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, optional sugar, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add butter - Add the chilled, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use your hands to rub it in until the butter is coated and flattened. Work quickly to prevent the butter from melting and avoid overworking the dough to keep it tender and prevent shrinking during baking.
- Add water to form dough - Gradually add the iced water to the flour mixture, mixing until the dough starts to come together. Test by squeezing a small amount in your hand. If it holds without crumbling, it’s ready. If it’s too crumbly, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it holds together.
Chilling your dough
- Form a dough ball - Transfer the dough mixture onto your work surface. Gather it into two discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Can store in the fridge overnight.
Rolling out your dough
- Which pie tin to use - Use a 9-inch deep glass or metal pie plate, or a 9-inch deep tart tin with a removable bottom. If using a tart tin, place it on a baking tray for support during baking.
- Rolling out the dough - Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin, then roll the dough slowly, turning it regularly to maintain an even thickness of 0.5cm / 1/4 inch. Pinch together any cracks at the edges as needed. If the dough becomes uneven, trim excess and press scraps onto areas that need more dough to form a round shape.
Shaping the pie
- Transferring to your pie dish - Lightly flour your rolling pin, then drape the pastry over it to lift and transfer it into your pie or tart tin.
- Shaping into your pie dish - Gently lift the edges of the dough and let it fall naturally into the edges and bottom of the tin without stretching. Trim or fold the excess dough, leaving a small overhang. To create a wavy edge, pinch the dough with your thumb and index finger while pressing with your other index finger. For a crinkled look, press a fork around the top. If using the other half of the dough for a lattice or flat lid, trim the excess with a knife and skip the crimping.
Freezing Your Pie Before Baking
- Freeze pie - Place your pie in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. This will allow it to bake even flakier!
BAKE 1 - Blind baking your pie
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 355F (200C / 390F for no fan).
- Blind baking - Remove the frozen pie crust from the freezer. To prevent bubbling and ensure an even base, blind bake the crust by adding weights before partially baking it. This step helps stabilize the crust before finishing without weights.
- To blind bake your pie - Place two large pieces of baking paper inside the frozen pie crust, overlapping them to cover the base and sides. Add a layer of foil tightly over the baking paper. Fill with baking beads or dried beans, ensuring they cover the base and sides evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
BAKE 2 - Baking your pie a second time
- Prepare the pie crust after baking - Remove the pie crust from the oven and carefully lift out the baking paper and weights using the corners. Let the weights cool completely before storing them for reuse. Brush the bottom and sides of the crust with egg wash (a mix of egg and milk) to seal it and prevent soggy fillings. This will also give the crust a golden, glossy finish when baked.
- To dock your pie crust - Use a fork to prick holes in the bottom of your pie crust. Docking helps steam escape, preventing air pockets during baking. Bake for a further 5 minutes or until golden.
BAKE 3 - To fully bake your pie (for no-bake fillings)
- Cover the top rim of the pie with foil to prevent it from burning. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden color. Let the pie cool completely before adding your no-bake fillings.
Video
Notes
Storage - Pie crust can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.
Dough - this recipe will make one pie with a base and lid or two pies with just a base.
Iced water - the amount of water you’ll need to use depends on a couple things but what you’re mostly looking for is for your dough to come together when squeezed without being crumbly. The dough mixture will still be a little crumbly but will stay together when squeezed in your hand.
Nutrition - is based on each pie crust
A note on measurements - all ingredients in this recipe are offered in Australian cup measurements and weight measurements. Weight measurements are created by me, in my kitchen here in Melbourne Australia. The best way to get recipe success is to measure ingredients by weight, using kitchen scales. To access weight measurements, click on the ‘metric’ button in the recipe card located under the list of ingredients.
Nutrition
Calories:1385kcal | Carbohydrates:114g | Protein:19g | Fat:96g | Saturated Fat:59g | Polyunsaturated Fat:4g | Monounsaturated Fat:25g | Trans Fat:4g | Cholesterol:327mg | Sodium:1214mg | Potassium:220mg | Fiber:4g | Sugar:7g | Vitamin A:2967IU | Calcium:72mg | Iron:7mg
Have you tried this recipe?Tag me on instagram @thescranline!