Follow these steps to create a pie crust that’s both flaky and flavorful:

1. Combine Dry Ingredients:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. This ensures the salt is evenly distributed throughout the dough.

2. Cut in the Butter:

• Cut your cold butter into small cubes, about ½ inch in size.
• Add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients.
• Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. You should still see some small pieces of butter, about the size of peas. These pieces of butter will create steam pockets during baking, resulting in a flaky crust.

3. Add Ice Water:

• Begin adding ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a spatula after each addition.
• Continue adding water until the dough just begins to come together. It should be a shaggy mess, but there should be little to no dry flour remaining at the bottom of the bowl.

4. Form the Dough:

• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface or a pastry mat.
• Gently press the dough together with your hands to form a cohesive ball. Avoid kneading, as this can develop the gluten and make the crust tough.
• Divide the dough in half using a knife or bench scraper.
• Shape each half into a flattened disc.

5. Chill (Optional):

• If you’re not using the dough immediately, wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. You can also freeze the dough for up to 3 months.

Baking Your Crust: To Blind Bake or Not to Blind Bake?

Reference your pie recipe for baking instructions. Some will require a blind or par-bake and others will not. This simply means baking the crust solo before adding any filling. Different recipes will also require varying oven temps.

• Blind Baking (or Par-Baking): This technique is used for pies with liquid fillings, such as custard or pumpkin pie, to prevent a soggy bottom crust.

  • Roll out your dough and transfer to pie plate.
  • Line the unbaked pie crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
  • Fill the lined crust with pie weights, dried beans, or rice to prevent the crust from shrinking or puffing up during baking.
  • Bake according to your specific pie recipe’s instructions.
  • Remove the weights and liner, then continue to bake until golden brown.

• No Blind Baking Required: For pies with fruit fillings or other fillings that don’t require a pre-baked crust, simply roll out the dough, transfer it to your pie plate, add your filling, and bake according to your specific recipe’s instructions.