Perfect Homemade Flaky Pie Crust
The key to any good pie is a perfect, flaky pie crust. This all-purpose pie crust is buttery and flaky and goes great with both sweet and savoury pies. And it’s as easy as pie to whip together from scratch;)
* * *
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like pie. Apple pie, cherry pie (my personal favourite), blueberry pie, pumpkin pie, strawberry rhubarb pie… All delicious options. But the fact is, it doesn’t matter how good your filling is if your crust is too tough, or cooked unevenly, or (gasp!) soggy!
Luckily, making a perfect, flaky pie crust from scratch is easy to master by remembering a few simple rules.
Three rules for perfect, flaky pie crust…
Rule #1: Keep your butter (or lard) as cold as possible.
The colder the better when it comes to pie crust. This is especially true when it comes to the fat source you’re using (ie. butter, lard or even coconut oil), because you want the fat to stay solid until it melts in the oven. Then when it does melt, little air pockets will remain in the pie crust, which makes for a delicious layered flaky crust.
I put my butter in the freezer right before I cut it into my flour to keep it as cold as possible right up until it’s ready to go in the oven.
Related: How to Render Lard At Home
Rule #2: Keep the fat content as high as possible.
Fat equals flavour, and also helps keep crust light and flaky. To up my fat content, I use cream (or whole fat milk) instead of water in my pie crust.
Also, don’t allow too much gluten to form. Gluten causes pie crusts to become tough and dense, and that is definitely the opposite of what we’re going for here! One way to prevent gluten from forming is to add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to your pie crust, as you’ll see in this recipe. Vinegar helps to inhibit gluten strands from forming, which will help you keep your pie crust light and flaky.
Rule #3: Don’t overwork your dough.
The more you mix and work your pie dough, the more gluten will form. Remember, i’s not bread dough, it’s pie! And the less you touch it, the better.
That being said, I’ve found it’s pretty hard to overwork pie dough when forming it by hand. I usually spend a good minute or two working my dough into a dough ball and my crust always turns out nicely. However, if you’re using a food processor, you need to be more careful not to overwork it.
How to make homemade flaky pie crust from scratch
This recipe is for a double pie crust, so you’ll get a bottom and a top crust out of this.
The first step to a perfect, flaky pie crust is to start with cold butter or lard. Never use room temperature butter to make pie dough! Always start with butter that’s been in the fridge (or even the freezer!)
Cut one cup of cold butter or lard into ½-inch cubes and set the cubes aside in a bowl. Transfer to the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to add it to your flour.
You can use butter or lard in this pie crust recipe. If you’re vegan, you could even use coconut oil (although full disclaimer, I’ve never personally tried using coconut oil in my own pie crusts). I find butter adds a little more flavour to pie crust, but lard really helps to make it extra flaky. Either one is a good option.
Next, in a liquid measuring cup, add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to ½ cup of cold cream or whole milk and set it in the fridge until ready to use.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together three cups of all-purpose flour and one teaspoon of salt.
Using a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter or lard by hand. (You can also use a food processor if you prefer).
Cut in your butter or lard until the chunks are roughly the size of peas.
Slowly drizzle your milk/vinegar mixture over your flour/butter mixture and then mix together with your hands or with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to stick together. Then turn dough out onto a floured surface and work the dough into a ball with your hands.
The dough will be crumbly. That’s okay! Just keep working it until it forms into a ball. However, if you feel you need to add a bit more liquid, add a little more milk but just add one tablespoon at a time. You really don’t want your dough to be too sticky or wet, so err on the side of crumbly as long as it holds together.
If using a food processor, pulse a few time to cut in the butter and then drizzle the milk/vinegar mixture in as you run your food processor. Turn your food processor off as soon as you’ve poured all the milk in, then turn dough out onto a floured surface and work it into a ball.
Once you’ve shaped your dough into a ball, wrap it with plastic wrap or place in an airtight freezer bag and pop it in the fridge for at least an hour before rolling out.
* If you want to make your dough ahead of time, it can be stored in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.
How to roll out pie dough
When you’re ready to assemble your pie, remove pie dough from the fridge, remove wrapping and transfer to a floured surface. Cut pie dough in half to form a bottom and a top crust.
Roll out your bottom crust to about 11 inches in diameter to fit a 9-inch pie plate, then transfer dough to the pie plate.
I love my heavy marble rolling pin for rolling out my pie crust nice and thin.
To make transferring easier, fold dough in half once and then in half again. Then place in the pie plate and unfold.
Press pie dough into the bottom and sides of the pie plate and trim off any excess dough around the edges.
Scoop filling into bottom pie crust and set aside. Re-flour your surface and roll out the other half of your dough to form your top crust. Either cut into strips to form a lattice crust or fold in half twice (just like you did with the bottom crust), place on top of your pie and unfold.
Cut off excess crust and use fingers or a fork to crimp around the edge or the pie.
Brush some egg wash on your pie crust (and a little raw sugar, if you’re making a sweet pie), and use a sharp knife to cut a few vent slits in the top.
Place in the oven on the bottom rack and bake at 375ºF for one hour.
Blind-baking pie crust
If you’re blind-baking your crust (pre-baking) for a cream, custard or pumpkin pie, line your bottom crust with a little parchment paper or aluminum foil and place some sort of weights on top to keep your pie crust weighted down so it doesn’t shrink or deform in any way. You can use pie weights or dried beans also work well since they distribute weight evenly and won’t burn.
Blind bake your crust at 375ºF for 30-40 minutes.
For more detailed instructions, check out this tutorial on blind-baking pie crust.
Want more pie???
Check out the following posts for more pie-related goodness:
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Whipped Pumpkin Pie
- Traditional Christmas Tourtière (Meat Pie)
- How to Can Blueberry Pie Filling
- How to Can Cherry Pie Filling
- Rustic Apple Crumble (not quite pie, but close enough to substitute in a pinch!)
Oh, and make sure to print out the recipe for this all-purpose pie crust below. You’ll want to keep a hard copy on hand in your recipe box to pull out quickly whenever you find yourself in the mood for a good pie:) (Always).
Perfect Homemade Flaky Pie Crust
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup cold butter, cut into ½-inch cubes (or substitute lard)
- ½ cup cold cream (or whole, full-fat milk)
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp. water
Instructions
- Cut butter or lard into ½-inch cubes and set the cubes aside in a bowl. Transfer to the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to add to your flour.
- In a liquid measuring cup, mix together milk and vinegar and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter (or food processor), cut (or pulse) the butter/lard until the chunks are roughly pea-sized.
- Slowly drizzle the milk/vinegar mixture over the flour/butter mixture and mix together until the dough begins to stick together. Dump dough out onto a floured surface and work the dough into a ball with your hands. If you feel you need to add a bit more liquid, add one tablespoon of milk at a time.
- Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap or place in an airtight freezer bag and transfer to the fridge for at least an hour before rolling out. Dough will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
- When you’re ready to assemble your pie, transfer dough to a floured surface. Cut pie dough in half to form a bottom and a top crust.
- Roll out your bottom crust to about 11 inches in diameter to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Transfer dough to pie plate.
- Press pie dough into the bottom and sides of the pie plate and trim off any excess dough around the edges.
- Scoop filling into bottom pie crust and set aside. Re-flour your surface and roll out the other half of your dough to form your top crust. Either cut into strips to form a lattice crust or lay it over the top of your pie.
- Cut off excess crust. Then use your fingers or a fork to crimp around the edge or the pie. Brush some egg wash on your pie crust (and sprinkle a little raw sugar on top if you’re making a sweet pie), and use a sharp knife to cut a few vent slits in the top.
- Place in the oven on the bottom rack and bake at 375ºF for an hour. Let cool completely before serving.
CATEGORIES
4 Comments
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
- Mini Cherry Pies in a Muffin Tin - […] for the dough, I use the same basic pie crust recipe I’ve always used, but doubled to make enough…
Submit a Comment
ABOUT ANNA
You Might Also Like
How to Use a Rocket Mass Heater to Cook & Heat Off-Grid
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. Learn how to heat and cook off-grid with a rocket mass heater, and why this is an even more energy-efficient solution than a traditional wood stove! This is a...
My Favourite Things – 2022 Edition (aka. The Modern Homesteader’s Christmas Wish List)
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. Every year around this time, I compile a list of my favourite things: Things that I love, use or covet for my own homestead, and things that I know other modern...
If you haven't checked-in lately, the last week or so, we've sorta been in the trenches of homesteading and life over here. While some make it out to be glamorous all the time there are high's and low's just as there are in life.
With all that's going on, I've been making a point to find my way back into the garden, which is not only needed to feed my family, but also for some personal spiritual nourishment.
I just want to take a minute to love on my favorite veggie today, Broccoli! 🥦 It's one we plant over-and-over and I'm leaning into its abundance this year.
Not only is it one of my favorites, but we've also found it's one of the easiest veggies to grow so if you haven't tried it or added it to your garden yet, there's no better time than the present.
I've got an entire post on How to Grow Broccoli from Seed here: https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-grow-broccoli-from-seed/ if you're looking for any tips or tricks.
In my "How to" post you'll also find a link to one of my favorite recipes for Cream of Broccoli Leaf Soup!
Can I be honest?
Sometimes you've gotta take a step back and look at the life you've created for yourself and ask yourself "is this truly what I want?"
The other day I shared about losing two of our rabbits this week to Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease. The stress of losing them comes amidst a backdrop of heightened tensions around here...
From work pressures for Ryan to me trying to run a business and handle a very fussy, colicky 2-month-old (and a very busy 6-year-old), to things ramping up in the garden again and all of the other million things that need to get done (including multiple loads of laundry a day thanks to more spit up than I ever knew a baby was capable of producing), I finally felt like I was ready to crack this week.
Oh, not to mention we're doing this all on next to no sleep thanks again to our sweet boy.
I know this is all part of what we signed up for, but when it all happens at once, it can feel completely overwhelming. And when I'm completely overwhelmed and stressed out, that's exactly when I get sick too, which is exactly what happened a couple days ago.
Then yesterday (Saturday) I woke up feeling awful and decided to scroll Instagam as I nursed Noah. I saw other mothers with 6, 8 or even 10 kids somehow keeping it all together getting three square meals on the table every day while managing to keep a tidy kitchen and find time to Instagram about it.
I saw other homestead bloggers reaching new levels of success in their business that I can only dream about right now. And as I sat there in bed, covered in spit up with a ravenous baby nursing off me as I tried to console him, I felt sad for myself in that moment that I couldn't live up to the folks I was comparing myself to.
Later in the day I had to work, so Ryan took the kids to the beach and I stayed home. And I felt sad once again; Sad that I was missing out on yet another weekend with my family because I had created a life where I now have to work weekends just to keep up.
But the silver lining was that the work I had to do yesterday forced me out into the garden, and it was probably the most soothing thing I could have done for my soul.
(Continued in comments…)
Sometime homesteading looks like homegrown vegetables and freshly laid eggs and sourdough rising on the counter.
And sometimes it looks like tears when you have to bury one of your animals 😔
Ryan went out to feed the bunnies yesterday and Flopsy -our little black and white bunny- was laying dead in the pen. There was no blood, other than a little bit by her mouth. Seems like something internal happened. We’re not sure what.
Evelyn helped lay her to rest yesterday. It was a hard weekend for her. First she stayed with grandma and went with her to put her sick, 17-year-old cat down. Then she came home to the news that Flopsy was gone.
But I believe she’s more resilient because of it. We talked to her about how death is a part of all life, and allowed her to go through the stages of grief and process it however she felt she needed to.
Homesteading isn’t always sunshine and rainbows and snuggly barnyard animals. Homesteading teaches us hard lessons and helps us to become stronger and more resilient by challenging us daily.
Yesterday was a sad, hard day. But I’m glad we got to experience it together as a family.
A few years ago, Forbes published an article titled Dear Homesteaders, Self-Reliance is a Delusion.
Let’s unpack this…
What does self-reliant really mean? Is it actually achievable, or just a pipe dream?
Over on the blog today I'm unpacking all of these thoughts, and the things I do know for sure as a homesteader, mother and member of a strong and self-reliant community.
But I really want to hear from you! Post in the comments below what self-reliance means in modern times, or what steps you're taking to be more self-reliant.
Read the full article here: https://thehouseandhomestead.com/what-is-self-reliance/ or at the link in my bio
The spring issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine is out now!
It’s that time again...
The time when things begin ramping up in the garden, the barnyard and the home.
From trays of seedlings to baskets full of eggs, spring is in the air and I don’t know about you, but I’m here for it!
It’s also time for a brand new issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, and boy do we have a good one for you…
In the spring issue, we cover a diverse range of topics from how to trade your skills for land to the realities of going off-grid, from seed-starting to what to do with too many eggs, and from the simple joys of a homemade herbal cocktail to the sometimes heavy emotional toll of raising meat animals.
In this issue, you’ll find:
🌱 What it really takes to live off-grid, with Tammy Trayer of Trayer Wilderness
🌱How you can trade your skills for a piece of land with the SKIP program from the folks at Permies.com
🌱 Everything you need to know about seed-starting to set your garden up for success and abundance!
🌱 What to do with too many eggs! Author Mimi Dvorak-Smith shares 800+ ways to use ‘em up when your hens start laying.
🌱 How to make your own healthier cocktails with homemade botanical syrups
🌱 Dealing with the emotional toll of raising meat animals on the homestead
Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to login to the library and read the spring issue (current subscribers) or subscribe for just $19.99/year to read this issue and gain instant access to our entire library of past issues!
#modernhomesteading #homesteading #selfsufficiency #springonthehomestead
If you grow plants from seed (or if you want to), you’re likely going to want to start a few of them indoors. And if you start your seeds indoors, something that will make your life so much easier (and make your seedlings bigger, stronger and healthier) is an indoor growing stand with grow lights.
I've got a post I'm sharing with you today that will walk you through choosing the best type of lighting for whatever you're growing and then a step-by-step guide of how to make your grow stand, along with product recommendations if you want to make yours just like mine!
Ours can accommodate up to about 200 seedlings, but you can make yours as small or big as needed:)
You can check out the post here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-build-indoor-growing-stand/ or at the link in my bio.
Let me know in the comments what you're growing new, or what you're most excited about in your planting journey this year!
Theme of the Month: ADIDAS
No, not the textiles brand, it stands for: 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗜 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 because it's officially March and we are in full swing around here!
Before you just start throwing seeds in the ground or into red solo cups on your windowsill, it’s important to take some time to read your seed packets and get to know each crop’s specific needs.
Understanding the information on a seed packet is super important when it comes to gardening, especially if you want your plants to get a strong, healthy start and produce an abundance of food for you. And what gardener doesn’t want that?!
Set yourself up for success and take a minute to read through my 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦, before your weekend gardening plans begin.
Grab the guide link in my bio, or get it here: https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-read-seed-packets/
Happy Planting:) ✨
This all-natural homemade toothpaste recipe is made with just four simple ingredients that are good for both your body and your bank account!
I’m on a personal mission to replace every commercially-made, toxic product in our home with homemade, all-natural alternatives. One-by-one, I’m getting closer every day.
The benefit of making all-natural toothpaste at home is avoiding the unhealthy additives found in most commercial toothpastes by substituting ingredients with proven benefits for oral health.
So if you’re also on a mission to rid your own home of toxic products and replace them with healthy, all-natural versions that actually work, then I highly recommend whipping up a batch of this all-natural homemade toothpaste.
Wishing you health, wealth and squeaky clean teeth… The all-natural way;)
You can find the recipe here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/all-natural-homemade-toothpaste-recipe/ or at the link in my bio.
It's that time of year 🌱 seed starting season!
I know you can feel it too. The transition from winter to spring is truly a special time. It’s when life begins again. It’s the very first taste of all that lies ahead.
So before you go just planting any and every seed you can get your hands on, I've got a list of 8 Things to Think About Before Starting Seeds, to get you off on the right food!
I will walk you through, planning, sowing, containers, watering, lighting and more, and if that's not enough you can download my Seed Starting Cheat Sheet at the end to lay it all out.
I hope you're as excited as I am for the beautiful Spring season that lies ahead:)
You can find the list here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/before-starting-seeds/ or at the link in my bio.
What are you planting this year? Anything new you've never tried before? Share with me in the comments!
Ever thought about growing mushrooms at home??
A great EASY way to get started is with one of these mushroom grow kits from @northsporemushrooms
All you need to do is cut open the pack, spray with a little water (the kits even come with a handy little spray bottle), and then sit back and watch the magic happen!
And seriously, watching mushrooms goes does feel a little like magic because they grow so fast you can practically see them growing, no time lapse necessary!
The mushrooms are ready for harvest in just a few days. No gardening experience or land necessary! Even a newbie homesteader in an apartment in the city can grow these babies!
This is a great way to dip your tow into the much bigger world of mushroom growing and harvesting, and to try out a few new varieties that you probably won’t find anywhere else.
I grew Pink Oyster Mushrooms, Lion’s Mane and Blue Oyster Mushrooms (all pictured here). I’ll be using the Pink Oyster Mushrooms in a rigatoni pasta for dinner tonight. I turned the Lion’s Mane into Lion’s Mane “crab cakes” and the Blue Oyster Mushrooms are delicious as part of a stir fry or sautéed in butter and spooned over sourdough toast.
If this reel intrigues you, you can grab your own mushroom grow kit (along with time of other mushroom related products, including fruiting blocks, outdoor log kits, medicinal tinctures, capsules and more) at northspore.com. Use code HOUSEANDHOMESTEAD for 10% off your order!
And if you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my interview with Louis Giller of North Spore Mushrooms in the winter issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine. You can also find my recipe for Lion’s Mane “Crab Cakes,” along with other delicious mushroom recipes and an in-depth feature on medicinal mushrooms including Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Chaga and Cordyceps in the winter issue.
Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to subscribe or login to the library and read the current issue.
Mushrooms really are pure magic, don’t ya think? 🍄 ✨
#mushrooms #mushroomhead #shrooming #eatyourshrooms #mushroomsaremagic #modernhomesteading #urbanhomesteading #homegrown
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, it probably comes as no surprise that I don’t exactly love relying on the grocery store to provide for me and my family, and that sentiment is only getting stronger as time goes on.
Between supply chain issues, rising food costs and the plethora of unhealthy ingredients, chemicals and GMO foods on grocery store shelves, I’d rather toil in the garden and kitchen all year to grow and preserve my own food than have to rely 100% on grocery stores to provide for me.
But that being said, we are in no way 100% self-sufficient so when I do go to the grocery story, I haveI have some ingredient guidelines in mind that I use when shopping for my family.
Check out my shopping tips, what I do and don't buy, and where and who I like to buy from here at this link https://thehouseandhomestead.com/healthy-grocery-shopping-tips/ or at the link in my bio.
Usually by late February/early March, right about nowish, I’ve pretty much had enough of winter and the thought of enjoying a tropical fruit platter and a cold adult beverage on a sunny beach in *insert tropical vacation destination here* seems to be just about all I can think about...
But with a newborn at home that's about the last thing on our to-do list right now! So this year, I will be visiting my tropical escape via my favorite Low-Sugar Mango Jam recipe.
If you do have tropical vacation plans, have a piña colada for me 🙏🏼, but if you don't then this recipe may be just what you need to "escape" for a few minutes into that tropical paradise:) 🥭🍹
Check out the recipe here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/low-sugar-mango-jam-recipe/ or at the link in my bio.
Let me know how the recipe works for you, and if add in any additional fruits to change it up!
Made a fresh blueberry pie and used your pie crust recipe. It was great! Turned out with great flaky layers.
Yeah! Sounds great Amanda!
Now I’m hungry for pie….. 🙂
I don’t make pies because I never learned to make a good crust. I am going to try your recipe and see if, finally, I can make the crust edible! Thank you!
Let me know how it goes!