This easy flaky pie crust uses only five ingredients you’ll already have at home! Simply mix them together and chill then you’re on the way to the perfect flaky butter pie crust for your favorite pie!
1cupVERY COLD unsalted buttercut into small pieces
4-6TBSICE water
1egg
1TBScoarse sugar
Instructions
Pour flour, powdered sugar and salt into a food processor. Pulse a couple of times to mix.
Place very cold small pieces of butter into the food processor and pulse about 20 times or just until slightly combined but in small pea sized pieces.
Gradually add 3 Tablespoons of ice cold water and pulse, pinch a piece together in your fingers. If they hold together well you do not need to add any more water, if they just crumble and fall apart, add another spoon of water. Repeat with the remaining water but check before adding each time. You do not want your ingredients to warm up and form a ball. This can cause a chewy crust instead of a nice flaky one.
Place a piece of wax paper down and dump mixture out. Gather dough together and make a ball. Divide into 2pieces and press into a small thick circle. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap or put in a small ziplock bag with air removed.
Spray a pie pan with non-stick spray.
Dust a small amount of flour on apiece of wax paper and place one of the pieces of pie crust on the flour. Place another piece of wax paper on top and press down. Roll out crust into a flat round shape. Place pie pan upside down on rolled out crust making sure crust is larger than pie pan.
Gently pull off top piece of wax paper and place pie crust in pie pan. Carefully pull the wax paper from the pie crust. If pie crust tears a little, just press together well. Make sure pie crust is snuggly in the bottom and corners of the pie pan and overlaps the top edge of the pan. Do not cut off excess.
Fill pie with your favorite pie filling using your favorite pie recipe.
If desired, top the filling with the other pie crust cut into strips, shapes, a basket weave design, etc. Or just do one full layer and cut slits in the top layer.
Cover with tin foil and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight. This step is important for a flakey pie crust.
Remove tin foil and brush with well beaten egg then sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake according to your favorite pie instructions - the baking time and temperature will be dependent on the filling.
Notes
Make sure to start with VERY COLD butter and ICE water. If either ever warm up, put them back in the fridge or add more ice.Don't add more than a small spoon of water at a time when you're making the dough. Adding too much water can make your flaky pie crust chewy instead of flaky.Put your dough back in the fridge if at any point it seems to be getting warm and no longer chilled. Wait until it's chilled before using it again.Refrigerate your pie before baking to allow the butter to get back to a firm state. This is what helps get that super flaky pie crust.The nutrition facts for this recipe are based on a pie that uses both pie crusts and is cut into eight slices. The nutrition facts do NOT include any filling - just the crust itself.