This Perfect Pie Crust is flakiest and best tasting recipe to compliment any pie filling. It’s so simple to make in a food processor or in just minutes by hand. The pie dough rolls out very smooth and makes cutting shapes easy. It bakes to a beautiful golden color which makes it really the Perfect Pie Crust.
I absolutely adore this pie crust recipe. I’ve been making pies since I was 8 years old and since then this recipe has made the Perfect Pie Crust each time. The addition of vegetable shortening gives the crust a smoothness and a more golden crust that All-Butter Pie Crust lacks. The shortening also makes it easier to roll and cut into shapes, braid, or make indentations. Don’t get me wrong, I love my recipe for All-Butter Pie Crust too but when I want to decorate a pie with cut out edges then I use my Perfect Pie Crust recipe.
Remember to have the butter and shortening very cold. I like to use butter-flavored shortening because it adds more buttery flavor to the pie dough. Shortening along with the butter creates the most flaky pie dough. You’ll love it! Animal lard can be used in place of the vegetable shortening with the same measurement.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE PERFECT PIE CRUST
- Unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- Butter-flavored vegetable shortening, regular vegetable shortening, or lard, cold and cut into cubes
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Ice water
HOW TO MAKE PERFECT PIE CRUST
- Using a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the flour, sugar, and salt; pulse a few times to combine.
- Add the cold cubed, butter and shortening; pulse 10 to 12 times until the butter is the size of peas.
- While the food processor is running, add the 6 to 8 tablespoons of ice cold water (do not add ice cubes to the dough) in the feed tube; pulse until the dough begins to form a ball.
- Remove the dough from the food processor onto a lightly floured surface and form a ball.
- Cut the dough ball in half and wrap each half in plastic.
- Press each of the wrapped dough balls into circular 1-inch (2.54-cm) disks and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
- Refrigerate the pie dough for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Pulse dry ingredients. 
Add butter and shortening; pulse. 
Add icy water and pulse until dough ball forms. 
Form a ball and divide in half. 
Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes or up to 3 days. 
On a floured surface and with the plastic on top of the dough, roll the dough into a 10-inch circle. 
Keep the plastic on top of the pie circle and roll around the rolling pin with the help of the bench scrapper to lift and transfer to pie dish. 
Place in a pie dish.
THREE PIE EDGE IDEAS
HOW TO BLIND BAKE (PRE-BAKE) A PIE CRUST:
- Roll and shape the dough in the pie plate.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Line the pie plate with aluminum foil or crinkled parchment paper enough to cover the sides.
- Fill with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and pie weights.
- Place silicone pie crust shields or strips of aluminum foil around the edges of the crust.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes more until the shell is pale golden.
- If the shell puffs up during baking, gently press it down with the back of a spoon.
- If the pie filling is going to bake, reset the oven to the temperature to bake the pie.
- Keep the silicone crust shields or aluminum strips on during baking to prevent over browning.
- Pour the prepared filling into the blind baked shell and continue baking.
PIE RECIPES TO MAKE WITH THIS CRUST:
- Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- The BEST Pecan Pie
- Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie
Perfect Pie Crust
This Perfect Pie Crust is flakiest and best tasting recipe to compliment any pie filling. It's so simple to make in a food processor or in just minutes by hand. The pie dough rolls out very smooth and makes cutting shapes easy. It bakes to a beautiful golden color which makes it really the Perfect Pie Crust.
Servings: 2 (10-inch/25-cm) pie crusts
Ingredients
- 12 Tbsp (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- ⅓ cup (73 g) butter-flavored vegetable shortening, regular vegetable shortening, or lard, cold and cut into cubes
- 3 cups (375.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 6-8 Tbsps ice water
Instructions
- Using a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the flour, sugar, and salt; pulse a few times to combine. Add the cold cubed, butter and shortening; pulse 10 to 12 times until the butter is the size of peas.
- While the food processor is running, add the 6 to 8 tablespoons of ice cold water (do not add ice cubes to the dough) in the feed tube; pulse until the dough begins to form a ball.
- Remove the dough from the food processor onto a lightly floured surface and form a ball. Cut the dough ball in half and wrap each half in plastic. Press each of the wrapped dough balls into circular 1-inch (2.54-cm) disks and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
- Refrigerate the pie dough for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
How to Blind Bake (Pre-Bake) a pie crust:
- Roll and shape the dough in the pie plate. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line the pie plate with aluminum foil or crinkled parchment paper enough to cover the sides. Fill with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights. Place silicone pie crust shields or strips of aluminum foil around the edges of the crust. Bake for 8-10 minutes more until the shell is pale golden. If the shell puffs up during baking, gently press it down with the back of a spoon.
- If the pie filling is going to bake, reset the oven to the temperature to bake the pie. Keep the silicone crust shields or aluminum strips on during baking to prevent over browning. Pour the prepared filling into the blind baked shell and continue baking.
