This easy all-butter pie crust recipe is a fantastic starting point for all your pie recipes. It’s buttery, flaky, and perfect for both sweet and savory pies.
With step-by-step instructions and tips, even beginners can achieve a perfect crust every time. And best of all, it’s a no-lard recipe!
What Makes This the Best Pie Crust
- Expertly Refined: Having worked as a pastry chef, I’ve cooked my fair share of pies – so I’ve been able to refine this pie crust recipe over the years.
- Rich and Flaky: All-butter crusts give a rich, delicious flavor and flaky texture that just cannot be beaten.
- Simple Ingredients: Just a few basic ingredients and a recipe that’s easy to follow.
- Easy to Make Ahead: Make the dough ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer.
What is an All-butter Pie Crust?
An all-butter pie crust is exactly what it sounds like—pie dough made with only butter as the fat component.
Butter gives the pie crust a rich, delicious flavor other fats can’t match. It also creates a beautifully flaky texture, so each bite is light and crisp.
Some pie dough recipes use shortening or lard. Did you know that most lard used in baking is pork fat?
Not this recipe, it’s 100% Halal! It’s inclusive and delicious—a win-win!
What You’ll Need to Make an All-butter Pie Crust
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: I use all-purpose flour in my pie dough to keep it simple. You can also use bread flour or high-gluten flour – just add a little more water to hydrate the dough.
- Unsalted butter: I prefer unsalted butter because it keeps the crust neutral, making it perfect for both sweet and savory pies.
- Cold water: Use filtered, refrigerated cold water. If you don’t have time to chill your water, use ice-cold water and remove the ice before pouring the water into the dough.
Tools
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Large mixing bowl
- Knife or bench scraper
How to Make an All-butter Pie Crust
I designed this recipe to be very easy to make using an electric stand mixer.
In just 15 minutes, you’ll have perfect pie dough. No more store-bought dough!
1. Mix dry ingredients together: Start by putting all-purpose flour and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Add butter: Add cubes of cold unsalted butter and turn the mixer on. Let it run until the butter is broken into the flour, forming pea-sized chunks.
3. Add water: Add cold water and mix until the dough is combined.
4. Shape the dough: On a floured work surface, pat together all the dough crumbs. Cut the dough ball in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap.
That’s it! Be sure to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling. This step helps the dough relax and makes it easier to handle.
Chef’s Tips
Temperature is key when it comes to pie dough!
Follow these tips for a perfectly flaky pie crust:
- Cold butter: The butter must be cold to maintain separation from the flour. You want small, pea-sized pockets of fat in the flour. This is so the butter sizzles and evaporates in the oven, producing the flaky crust. Read more about how this works in my Chemistry of Baking post.
- Cold water: We also want to use cold water to help keep the butter cold. Some people even use ice water in their pie crusts, but I find that cold water from the fridge is fine.
Recipe Yield
This recipe yields enough dough for two large pie crusts.
You can make two separate pie shells or one double-crusted pie. For a double-crusted pie, use one batch of this recipe for both the base and the top crust.
Want to get fancy? Try a lattice work or add decorative touches!
How to Bake a Pie Crust
Use this pie dough in any pie recipe—just bake according to the recipe’s instructions.
Whether you have to blind bake your pie crust or fill the whole pie before baking will depend on the recipe you’re using.
What to Do with Leftover Pie Dough
You’ll inevitably have some off-cuts of pie dough left over after you’ve baked your pie. Instead of tossing them, use these leftover strips to create fun, quick treats!
Here are some ideas for what to do with your leftover pie dough:
- Pigs in a blanket: Cut a few hot dogs into thirds. Wrap each hot dog section with a strip of leftover pie dough. Place on a lined baking tray and brush with egg wash. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Perfect for a quick snack or party appetizer!
- Cinnamon twists: Twist the leftover pie dough strips and place on a baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 400°F for about 15 minutes.
- Fruit galette: Combine all your dough scraps into one ball. Roll it out about a quarter-inch thick. It’s okay if there are rough edges. Place the flattened dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Fill with fresh fruit mixed with cornstarch per this recipe. Fold up the edges, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake at 475°F for 15 minutes.
How to Store Pie Dough
Refrigerate
Wrap your pie dough disks tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge for up to a week.
Before using, let the dough sit on the counter for about 10-15 minutes, just until it’s pliable enough to roll.
Be careful not to let it come to room temperature, as this will soften the butter too much and make it harder to roll.
Freeze
For longer storage, freeze your pie dough disks. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To thaw, remove from the freezer and let the disks thaw in the fridge overnight.
When you’re ready to roll out the pie dough, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes until it’s pliable enough to roll, but still cold.
Always having a few pie dough disks in your fridge or freezer means you can bake a delicious pie at a moment’s notice.
Literary Baking Adventures
There is so much to learn about pies—and perfecting a basic pie dough recipe is just the start!
My favorite cookbook about pie is The Book on Pie: Everything You Need to Know to Bake Perfect Pies by Erin Jeanne McDowell.
This cookbook has so many ideas for different variations of pie dough, including cinnamon and chocolate flavored dough. It also has many recipes for how to use your pie dough in all kinds of desserts.
More Recipes that use Pie Dough
This all-butter pie crust recipe is so versatile, and there are many delicious baked goods that you can make with pie dough. Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Desserts:
- Lemon meringue pie
- Homemade Pop Tarts
- Any kind of fruit pie, such as apple pie, strawberry, and rhubarb pie, or mixed berry pie
- Thanksgiving pies, like pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, and pecan pie
- Savory items:
- Chicken pot pie
- Salmon fold over pie
- Savory hand pies
- Appetizers:
- Brie en Croute
- Spinach and cream cheese pockets
- Pigs in a blanket
FAQs
Can I make pie dough ahead of time?
Yes! Make your pie crusts ahead, especially for holidays.
I always make mine the day before, or even weeks ahead, and store them in the fridge. For more extended storage, I freeze them.
I always keep a couple of pie dough disks in the freezer for when inspiration strikes!
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter?
Yes, you can use salted butter if that’s what you have on hand. To compensate, use less salt in the recipe.
Why is my pie dough tough and not flaky?
Tough dough usually means it was overworked or the butter got too warm. To keep the flakiness, keep the butter and water cold and work the dough as little as possible.
Can I make this dough by hand if I don’t have a stand mixer?
Absolutely! You can mix the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or your hands until you have pea-sized chunks. Just be sure to work quickly to keep everything cold.
All-butter Pie Crust
Equipment
- 1 Electric mixer with paddle attachment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 Knife or bench scraper
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 12 ounces unsalted butter, cold (3 sticks)
- 6 oz cold water
Instructions
- Start by adding the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir slightly to combine.
- Keep the butter refrigerated until you are ready. Cut the butter into small cubes, then add all the cubes of butter to the bowl of flour at the same time.
- Mix on medium to low speed until the butter is dispersed and pea-sized crumbs form. This may take a few minutes, but stay close by to make sure you don't overmix. The texture should be grainy and clumpy. It's ok if there are still a few larger chunks of butter, but most of the pieces should be smaller. To test the texture, stop the mixer and squeeze a handful of mixture in your fist. If the flour mixture sticks together, it's ready. On the other hand, you'll know it's overmixed if the butter melts and a sticky dough forms at this stage.
- Slowly add the cold water and mix until a dough forms. Mix until just combined, not any longer.
- Turn out dough onto a floured surface and pat together into a ball. Knead the dough once or twice to combine any crumbs and smooth out the dough's texture. Do not overwork the dough.
- With a knife or bench scraper, cut the dough ball into two halves. Pat each half into a flattened disk. Wrap each disk individually in 2 sheets of plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling. These pie dough disks can also be frozen immediately for up to 6 months.
2 responses to “Easy All-butter Pie Crust Recipe”
Gorgous pie crust recipe!
Thank you for this Nasi, It’s tough to find a tried and true recipe that doesn’t incorporate lard.
I know what you mean! Let me know if you try it!