Make pie crust from scratch by cutting very cold butter into flour and salt, then adding just enough ice water for the dough to come together in a shaggy disk. Chill it for at least an hour before you roll it, and keep the butter in pieces so the baked crust turns flaky. Use it for how to make pumpkin pie, how to make pecan pie, how to make chocolate pie, and how to make sweet potato pie. If the bottom turns wet, see how to keep pie crust from getting soggy . More help is in Thanksgiving desserts and the Thanksgiving guide.
Start with cold butter and a light hand
For one 9-inch crust, stir 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour with 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Cut 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of very cold unsalted butter into 1/2-inch cubes and work them into the flour with a pastry cutter, two knives, or a few pulses in a food processor until you see pea-size pieces and some smaller crumbs. Drizzle in 3 to 4 tablespoons of ice water, a little at a time, and toss until the dough just holds when pinched. It should look shaggy, not wet. Press it into a disk, wrap it, and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, or overnight. For a double-crust apple pie, double the recipe and split it into two disks.
Roll it, line the pan, and keep it cold
If the disk is rock hard, let it sit a few minutes, then roll it on a lightly floured counter into a 12-inch round. Ease it into a 9-inch pie dish without stretching, trim the overhang to about 1 inch, and fold or crimp the edge. If the kitchen is warm, chill the lined pan for 20 to 30 minutes before it goes in the oven. Some pies want a raw crust under the filling; others bake more evenly if you blind-bake first. Pie weights and soggy-bottom fixes are in how to keep pie crust from getting soggy. If a crack appears, patch it with a scrap of dough and a dab of water.
Make it ahead and use it on any Thanksgiving pie
Wrapped disks keep in the refrigerator for 2 days or in the freezer for about a month; thaw frozen dough in the fridge overnight. You can also line the pan, wrap it, and freeze the unbaked shell. An all-butter crust browns and tastes rich; a little shortening in place of part of the butter is optional in a warm kitchen. The same dough is the base for every pie on the buffet.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my pie dough crumbly and dry?
Add ice water a teaspoon at a time until it just holds when pinched. Too little water makes it crack; too much makes it tough.
Can I make pie crust in a food processor?
Yes. Pulse the butter into the flour, then pulse in the water just until the dough forms clumps. Do not let it become a smooth ball.
Do I have to blind-bake every pie?
No. Custard pies often benefit from a baked shell; many fruit and pecan pies start with a raw crust. See the soggy-crust guide for when to prebake.
Helpful kitchen tools
- MALACASA 9-Inch Ceramic Pie Pan Set of 2 — A 9-inch ceramic pie dish helps the bottom set and gives you a second pan for a second pie.
- OXO Good Grips 1.5-Qt Stainless Mixing Bowl — A mixing bowl is all you need if you are cutting the butter in by hand.
- OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose Scraper and Chopper — A bench scraper lifts and turns the dough without warming it with your hands.
- OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Digital Kitchen Scale — Weighing the flour keeps the dough from turning dry or pasty.
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