Flaky Butter Pie Crust
An all-butter flaky pie crust with a splash of apple cider vinegar to keep it tender and easy to roll. One batch makes 2 crusts, and you don't need a food processor. Make it ahead: the dough keeps for 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (12.5g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt if using table salt, use half as much.
- 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, straight from the fridge, preferably higher fat European style
- 1/2 cup (120ml) ice water
- 1 tablespoon (15g) vinegar (preferably apple cider, optional)
Instructions
Prep
- TIP: Fill a 1-cup liquid measuring cup with about 1 inch of water and freeze until completely frozen. After mixing your dry ingredients, take the cup from the freezer, fill it to 1/2 cup (120 ml), then add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. If you forget this step, simply fill a 1-cup liquid measuring cup halfway with ice, then add water and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
Butter Crust
- In a large stainless steel bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt until well combined.
- Place the sticks of butter in the bowl and coat them on all sides with the flour mixture.
- Using a bench scraper, cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Work quickly to separate the cubes with your hands until they are lightly coated with flour.
- Switch to a pastry blender and begin to cut the butter with one hand while turning the bowl with the other. Continue until the largest pieces are the size of peas and the rest of the mixture resembles Parmesan cheese.
- Add the water-vinegar mixture all at once. Use a bench scraper or your hands to mix until you can't see visible liquid pools. Scoop up as much of the mixture as you can and press it down onto the rest of the ingredients. Rotate the bowl a quarter-turn and repeat. Scoop, press, and turn until the mixture forms one cohesive mass. This will take several minutes to come together, don't be tempted to add more water.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, place it on a lightly floured counter, and use your bench scraper to divide it into two equal pieces. Gently pat each into a 2-inch thick disc, quickly sealing any broken edges before wrapping them tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or, ideally, overnight.
Rolling out the dough
- After chilling the dough for at least 2 hours, roll out one crust at a time, keeping the other in the fridge. Lightly flour your work surface, rolling pin, hands, and sprinkle some flour on the dough itself.
- Use gentle-medium force—no need to press too hard! Start from the center and roll outward, rotating and occasionally flipping the dough to prevent sticking. Add more flour if needed.
- Aim for a thin 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick, perfect for a 9-inch pie dish. Visible specks of butter and fat are completely normal.
- Since the dough is quite thin, use your rolling pin to transfer it to the pie dish. Gently roll one end of the dough onto the rolling pin, peeling it off the surface as you roll it towards you. Then, carefully unroll it over the pie dish.
- Proceed with the pie per your recipe’s instructions.
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Notes
Yield: Makes enough for one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies.
Make ahead
- Fridge: Wrap the dough discs tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Wrap each disc in plastic wrap, then seal it in a freezer bag, pressing out the air. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thawing: Thaw frozen dough overnight in the fridge before rolling.
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