All Butter Pie Crust: Perfect Pie Crust Recipe
In the past I have had many failures when attempting to make a perfect pie crust.
My homemade pie crust attempts often resulted in a dough that was too sticky, too dry, or full of cracks.
Purchasing frozen pie crusts isn’t really my style and I love to eat pie, so I pressed forward and kept trying.
A few years ago I finally learned how to make a great, no – perfect, All Butter Pie Crust.
If you’re trying to save time during the busy holiday season, you can make the crust recipe a day or two ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the pie.
Just let it sit out on the counter for about 10 minutes before you roll it out.
Perfect Pie Crust Tips
Keep Things Cold
Refrigerate all of the ingredients for your pie crust before beginning your recipe.
Pockets of cold butter within the crust are what make it so deliciously flaky. Use very cold, even frozen, butter and iced cold water in your pie crust recipes.
You can also chill your flour prior to use.
Use a Food Processor
While a food processor isn’t necessary to make a Perfect All Butter Pie Crust, I love my food processor and I’m convinced that it is what lead to my eventual success.
It works so beautifully this way because it makes it simple to get little bits of butter evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.
However, you can use a set of butter knives or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour if you don’t have a food processor to work with.
Just make sure that the bits of butter are small and evenly distributed.
The butter bits should be pea sized.
Don’t Overwork
One of the reasons I like to use a food processor is that it keeps my very warm hands away from the pie crust dough.
Heat will warm the ingredients and melt the bits of butter.
Work the dough until just moist and combined and don’t over handle.
Over handling will lead to a tough pie crust dough.
Delicious Pie Recipes:
- Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Tart
- Cinnamon Pear Crostata with Almond Oat Crust
- Chocolate Pecan Tart
- Flat Cranberry Apple Pie
What are your tips for making a perfect pie crust?
Perfect All Butter Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) very cold unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Cube the butter into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Place them on a freezer-safe plate or cutting board and freeze until very firm, approximately 30 minutes.
- Sift together the flour, salt, and sugar.
- Add the flour mixture to a food processor (10 to 12 cup size) along with the butter.
- Pulse the ingredients until the butter is cut into coarse crumbs.
- Add the ice cold water 2 tablespoons at a time while pulsing the food processor until the mixture becomes a crumbly dough and forms together.
- On an un-floured surface, turn the dough out and shape it into two circles (I use a kitchen scale to make sure they're evenly sized), approximately 6" in diameter, kneading as little as possible (pockets of butter are what keep the crust flaky and tender).
- Dust both sides of each circle with a bit of flour and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for an hour.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator or freezer.
- Set it aside while you dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour.
- Unwrap one dough circle and roll with a rolling pin until the dough has formed a circle about 12" in diameter and slightly thicker than 1/8 inch.
- When the dough is the proper size, wrap it gently around the rolling pin to transfer to the pie plate.
- Press the dough into the 9" pie plate and shape the edges according to your desired design.
Recommended Products
-
Measuring Cups - Measuring Spoon Set
- Food Processor
- Adjustable Rolling Pin with Removable Rings
- Non-slip Silicone Pastry Mat
- Pie Dish
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 slice pieAmount Per Serving:Calories: 78 Total Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 2mg Sodium: 133mg Carbohydrates: 15g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 0g Protein: 2g
Thanks for the recipe. Looks like a fast way to whip up some pie crust. I will give it a try.
This looks great… what are the baking time and temperature, tho?
It depends on the recipe. I use this crust with many different recipes and cook the pie according to the pie’s recipe instructions.
This looks great, will try it for my thanksgiving crust. A good trick for everyone without a food processor, freeze your butter and grate it up with a cheese grater.
I have been trying to start my own baking from scratch and was looking for a pie crust that didn’t have Crisco. Well, I tried this recipe tonight and made a chicken pot pie. I made a bottom crust and a lattice top. Let me tell you, this IS flakey! It almost looked like puff pastry, it was so flakey. SO delicious and super easy. I froze all the ingredients and used my Kitchen Aid. I mixed until almost all formed and then just dumped on my board and kneaded it all together for a few seconds. I made a double batch and froze 2 crusts. This will be my go-to for sure.
I wish my household would eat more pies. I’m the only one who will eat fruit pies and your post really makes me want to make one.
Another trick to the all butter crust is to put the filled pie back in the refridgerator while you preheat the oven.
I’ve been using an all butter crust for a long time but I still am not very good at crimping! Your’s are very pretty!
I have always been a fan of all butter for my pie crusts as well as tarts. Something about cisco that kind of freaks me out.
Your pie is gorgeous and has me wanting to get my hands dirty making an apple or pear pie. Cannot wait to have a kitchen again!
I love all butter pie crust… This recipe is very similar (almost identical!) to my go-to pie crust recipe. Suddenly I’m in the mood to make a pie. ๐
I’m always looking for a great pie crust recipe. Pie crust is one of my greatest baking weaknesses. I saved this and will try it soon.
This is very similar to my recipe. I learned like you a food processor is way to go, but a good sharp tool that cuts butter works too. I freeze my flour and butter and one tiny secret is then refrigerating dough for 24 hours before I use it. I don’t know why that makes a difference but it does. It’s not totally necessary, but if I remember to do my crust a day ahead, it tastes better and there is less mess to clean up when I get to my pie.
It took me a long time to find a crust I actually liked and one that actually worked as well. A food processor really helped me!
I concur with Carrie – by hand gives constantly excellent results pie crust. No butter, no problem, just be sure to chill everything well.
Lovely all-butter recipe! I’ll have to try it!
Excellent perfect pie crust tips Katie ๐
I’m also a big fan of using only butter (no shortening!!).
One of the tips I was taught was to roll the crust out between two sheets of plastic wrap, so then you can use the plastic to transport the dough (after rolling) into the pan without any extra stretching or tearing!
I second the all butter crust! It’s brilliant and I love the crimping on the edges of your pie.
What a beautiful pie crust. I am always so impressed with how perfect all of your food looks. And, the pictures are just amazing!
I swear by an all butter crust… though I always seem to mess it up with the food processor and over process it! So now I do it all by hand. I should give it another try though, much easier and much colder than my hands!