[Y]ou know what breaks my heart? Store-bough pie crust. Itโs a tragedy. Itโs a crime against good pie. Itโs illegal in at least eight states. Itโs not cool and I just canโt let you do it to yourself. See, store-bought pie crust is usually made up of unpronounceable fats that canโt possibly taste good. What does taste good? Butter in pie crust. Two syllables. Approachable and delicious.
Letโs talk about how to make the best pie crust from scratch. All it takes is a bit of confidence, a good amount of cold butter, tenacity, and a love of pie.
A pastry teacher once told me that ingredients can smell your fear. Itโs true. Butter can sense your hesitation. With these tips, I hope youโre inspired to get in the kitchen this holiday season and make a pie. You can totally do it. Iโm a believerโฆ and also, Iโll know if you buy a store-bought crust. I have a sense about these things.
Hereโs the lowdown on pie crust.
โข Flour, sugar, and salt are whisked together.
โข Cold, cubed butter is added and broken down into the dry ingredients.
โข Buttermilk is stirred in creating a shaggy but moist-ish dough.
โข With a wink and a prayer, dough is kneaded together, left to rest in the refrigerator, then rolled out into a buttery, sturdy, soon-to-be-flakey dough.
You can do it, hereโs some extra know-how:
1. The first rule of successful pie crust: Keep your butter cold!
See, thereโs a reason that our fat starts cold and needs to stay cold before the pie crust hits the oven. Butter is made up of milk solids and water. When cold butter hits a hot oven, the water in the butter evaporates quickly, helping to create a flavorful and flakey crust. When warm, soft butter goes into a hot oven, the butter weeps in the crust before it evaporates. No one wants a weepy butter crust.
2. Dough will be shaggy and thatโs just right!
Pea size cold butter chunks dotting the flour mixture will create a shaggy and marbled dough. Keep in mind that your dough will be on the shaggy side of cohesive once you add the buttermilk. Itโs not perfect and thatโs exactly right.
3. An hour of rest in the refrigerator is essential!
After the dough comes together into a shaggy disk, wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for 1 hour. This time is everything! It will allow the butter to rechill and allow the moisture to distribute through the dough.
4. Rolling out is a relationship.
Rolling out pie crust requires patience and intention. Once you get the hang of things, it takes about 4 minutes from start to finish ensuring that the dough doesnโt warm and ooze before itโs completely rolled out. Flour a large work surface well. Start in the center of the dough by rolling your pin back and forth with firm even pressure. Pick the dough up and rotate it around the floured surface to make sure the dough isnโt sticking as you roll it out. Donโt worry about making a perfect circle / Donโt worry if you have cracks around the edges / Donโt be scared. You can totally do this.
5. Chill out again!
My favorite pie tins are the small, thin metal pie tins. They house a humble pie and the thin metal heats up quickly in the oven allowing that magical butter/water/evaporation science to create the flakiest pie crust. Allow the pie crust to chill in the refrigerator while the pie baking oven preheats. Butter = Cold.
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Let these pies into your heart this holiday season. I want you to want this.
โข Bourbon Pecan Pie with Dark Chocolate // Rich and nutty with melted chocolate and bourbon, too! Maybe this pie instead of Thanksgiving turkey? Why not?
โข Dadโs Perfect Sweet Potato Pie // No exaggeration when I say this is perfect. Creamy, earthy, not just pumpkin pie, super extra delicious just do it.
โข Salty Honey Pie // Sweet, salty, and creamy.
โข Creamy Pumpkin Pie Bars // A press-in crust with butter and oats if youโre still intimidated about the whole pie crust situation. Iโm looking out for you.
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Buttermilk Pie Crust
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: makes 2 pie crusts 1x
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup cold buttermilk plus 2 to 3 tablespoons more if your dough is dry
Instructions
- To make the crust, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold, cubed butter and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture. Quickly break the butter down into the flour mixture, some butter pieces will be the size of oat flakes, some will be the size of peas.
- Create a well in the butter and flour mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk. Use a fork to bring to dough together. Try to moisten all of the flour bits. On a lightly floured work surface, dump out the dough mixture. It will be moist and shaggy. Thatโs perfect. Divide the dough in two and gently knead into two disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- To assemble the pie, remove one of the pie dough disks from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into about a 13-inch round. Roll the dough a few strokes, then use your fingers to move the emerging circle around the floured surface. This ensures that the dough isnโt sticking to the work surface. The circle wonโt be perfect, thatโs ok.
- Try not to get any tears in the rolled out dough, but if you do, they can be patched together with extra dough. When you roll the dough and you can see it start springing back, that means that the butter is warming and the crust shouldnโt be rolled out anymore. Gently lift the 13-inch round from the floured surface and center in a deep 9-inch round pie dish. Place in the fridge while you roll out the top crust.
- Roll out the top crust just as you did the bottom crust, moving the dough across the floured surface every once in a while, and creating a roughly 13-inch circle.
- Bake pie according to your particular recipe. Share. Enjoy!
76 Responses
A wonderful recipe, my new โgo toโ pie crust! It is easy to work with and most importantly, delicious!!! I made my own buttermilk (added half a tablespoon of white vinegar to a half cup of milk) and it was just right.
Thank you for this great recipe!
Joy, I have had 2 of your cookbooks for a while now and have enjoyed them.
My issue with all butter crust is no matter how long I chill the dough, even in pie pan, the crust always shrinks down in the pan and/or the top of the crust breaks off while baking.
Any suggestions?
Hello! Iโm Abby, I answer for Joy when things are busy busy but trust the answer is coming from Joy! She suggests 2 things. 1 โ resign yourself to a little bit of shrinkage. The water evaporating from the butter causes the shrinkage. It is bound to happen. and 2 โ if the shrinkage is a LOT sub half the butter for vegetable shortening. I hope this helps, happy baking! :)
Years ago my daughter and I took a class on pies. The instructor told us to roll our dough on powdered sugar instead of flour. The dough basically rolls the same, but the bottom crust get a bit crispier than soggy especially with creamier pies
Oh thatโs an incredible idea!
I seem to always have plain or Greek yogurt in the fridge. To make a substitute for buttermilk I just add a little milk or water to it. Works great. I use it for biscuits, pie crusts and about anything that calls for buttermilk.
Lol ohhhh manโฆ. I just made this and was SO CONFUSED as to what I did wrong when the crust turned out to be a soggy catastrophic messโฆ I cut the recipe in half but somehow only saw 1 1/2 cups flour so I only put in 3/4 cups flour!! Gaaaaa. Well I guess Iโll just have to make more pie, darn :)
My new favorite pie crust recipe! The dough was so easy to handle and rolled out like a dream, and the baked crust is incredibly flaky. I didnโt have buttermilk, so I subbed in whey (left over from making yogurt this week). Also, I took a shortcut and used my Cuisinart, first to pulse the butter/flour mixture and then to pulse in the liquid. The results were divine. This will be my go-to crust from now on. Thank you!
Joy- I love making homemade pie crust. Iโm planning to make a couple of apple pies for Thanksgiving. I donโt do a top on mine, I do like a brown sugar oat crumble on top- the biggest problem I have is that the dough really shrinks up along the edges. Itโs like the edges sink into the pie pan and shrivel up. What am I doing wrong? I donโt even think about doing a decorative edge as it usually shrinks up to much!
Ok, so, I thought I sucked at making pie doughโฆ it never turned out, it always slumped, and I didnโt like the flavor enough to go to all the work. I used Pillsbury.
THIS PIE DOUGH IS AMAZING, JOY!! I am now a pie-baking fool. It has worked perfectly and been intensely flaky and delicious every time I have used it.
You. Are. My. Pie. Hero. :) :) :)
Thanks! I failed at a pie crust about 10 years ago, and vowed to never try it again. Iโm glad I did. This was very good.
I made your crust for the Bourbon Pecan Pie with Dark Chocolate on your site for Thanksgiving. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to make pie crust from scratch. Iโm glad that I did, because it was completely delicious! Everyone raved about this pie. I will definitely be making it again for Christmas, because I canโt wait until next year to have it again. :-)
I love to visit this blog, here are always great and very useful tips for baking and wonderful photos :)
I used your recipe for my Thanksgiving pie (maple bourbon pecan). It is now my absolute favorite pie crust recipe ever. Thanks for sharing it!
Iโve always been disappointed with pie crust recipes (even Smittenโs is too finicky and inconsistent) but I made yours for Thanksgiving and WOW! Iโm sold. Tender, flaky, and didnโt get gummy underneath! THANK YOU!!!
Hi Joy! I just made this dough & am waiting on it to finish chilling. It tastes so good raw, I canโt wait โtil itโs all baked up, filled with delish apples & spices!! Hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving!!
Joy! Made this dough last week in prep for this week, followed your tips & recipe. Took it out of the freezer yesterday. Baked 3 pies today and WOWSA! Havenโt eaten the pie yet, but had raw scraps I couldnโt stop eatingโฆ well did stop enough to save some and make little cinnamon sugar rolls with the dough that was left. AMAZING! So flaky! So tasty! Thank you!
I love the idea of using buttermilk in pie crust!!!! Iโm much more terrified of pie than anything elseโฆthis is going to give me confidence!
Thank you, Joy. I made this today (in Denver โ high altitude โ no less) and it turned out beautifully for a two crust apple pie. This is officially my go-to pie crust!
Iโm going to get my pie on this weekend, I need all these tips to ensure my success!
Never tried buttermilk! Whatโs the advantage?
Thanks for the tips! I havenโt used store-bought pie crust in ages, but Iโm still working to perfect my homemade recipe. Iโm going to try chilling the crust in the tin before baking this year for sure!
Buttermilk? Not water? Crazy! Whatโs the deal? Fill me in!
You โve done it again, Joy! Every time I think of pie, I think of you!
Iโve been dying to make pies lately. Thanks for sharing a good crust! I canโt wait to make a pie for Thanksgiving!
Iโve used this crust for chicken pot pie twice now, and can vouch that this is the best pie crust Iโve ever made/eaten!
Hi Joy!! I have a pie baking contest coming up at work, and am looking for a pie that will really knock the socks off my 40+ coworkers. Iโve made a few of your pies before, but am wondering if you would recommend one to be an especially delicious crowd-pleaser? Thanks so much!
I make crusts, but in a pinch I will use store-bought. If thatโs what it takes to get people to bake- use store-bought! We donโt all churn our butter or grind our own flour- we use store-bought. No haters among cooks! :)
Iโm going to put your tips to good use this weekend when I made Debโs JTB inspired pumpkin pie this weekend!
I recently discovered keeping your flour in the freezer is immensely helpful when making pie crust. One incident with flour bugs led me to keeping it there and it made my pie crust even mor flaky and delicious!
I love the line from your pastry teacher! Itโs so true! Especially butter. Thanks for all these tips!
Hi Joy, my butter always seems to form a pool around my pies. Any idea whatโs going on?
Going to try your pie pastry recipe with our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie next week! Thanks! Can i double the Creamy Pumpkin Pie Bars recipe and bake in a 13 x 9 dish? Hoping the pie to crust ratio remains fine. Thanks for your advice!
This is my go-to pie crust. If Iโm making a savory dish (pot pie or quiche) I skip the sugar. I am far north of NoLA so do consistently need the extra buttermilk. 4 stars bc it is tricky to get it to come together w/o extra moisture. If things are not coming together I find dipping my fingers in buttermilk and rubbing on the patchy spots when rolling out does the trick.
Before I had my son I worked at a local bakery and making pie shells was one of my jobs. Iโm actually going back this weekend to help them make pie shells for Thanksgiving. I had to make so many pie shells last year I could cry thinking about itโฆ.I am only making one or two pie crusts for my familyโs Thanksgiving and I am dreading the rolling out processโฆthe bakery has a sheeter and itโs amazing and so so helpful!
I donโt know if youโve tried this trickโฆ. but I freeze my butter and then grate it. It requires a lot less manhandling and gets those pea shapes without issue.
youโre right! totally great trick!
Absolutely gorgeous and recipe looks delish!
Never thought of using buttermilk. Will have to try that. This is my favorite butter pie crust from my blog: https://www.homeecathome.com/the-home-economist/never-fail-butter-pie-crust
I love your zest for life and love of baking. Fun to follow and see what you will think of next.
Cracking up over โingredients can smell your fearโ haha.
OMG!!! I love pie. Thanks for sharing your tips :)
You are right, nothing that a handmade pie crust.
Perfect pie crust recipe, thanks for share these amazing tips and the all the pies looks so yummy.
Thanks to one of your older posts I had the confidence to make a pie crust from scratch for the very first time this weekend! I was a bit scared that it wouldnโt turn out okay, but I kept thinking of your โhell yes you can make your own pie crust, donโt buy that stuff from the storeโ attitude when it comes to pie crust. The crust turned out perfectly and Iโm a make your own pie crust convert from now on.
Thanks for the help, Joy! I have a couple of questions. 1) My crusts ALWAYS shrink. Even if I roll it out, put in the pie plate, make it look as pretty as I can, and then allow it to chill in the freezerโฆshrinkage happens. Itโs inevitable. Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong? 2) In the above buttermilk pie crust recipe, can you freeze it before rolling it out; if so, how long will it keep for in the freezer? Thanks so much for your help!
Yum! I came to your demo and book signing in Tulsa and you inspired me to make a pie at Thanksgiving. I think Iโm actually making your apple crisp and one of your pies. Thank you for inspiring me and for all your baking knowledge!!
Joy, Iโd love to know from where you buy your thin metal pie tins. Thanks!
Now itโs autumn, Iโm pretty sure itโs okay to eat all of the pie, all of the time. Right?
Thatโs my excuse anyway. Thanks for enabling ;)
Buttermilk? So interesting! Iโve always just made my grandmotherโs recipe for pie crust (no store-bought here ;p), but Iโm so intrigued! Iโll definitely be trying this for Thanksgiving :)
The butter can smell my fear? Dangit, I knew it! = )
Can this pie crust be made in advance (Saturday or Sunday before Thanksgiving) and then baked with the filling the day-of? Should it be frozen for the few days in-between, or can it stay in the fridge? Pie crust making novice here but would like to try it!
Thanks Joy! Pie crust is the easiest thing in the world to make. I donโt even use sugar, and I use water instead of buttermilkโฆlearned it at my grandmaโs side :)
amen! Store-bought pastry is a crime in my state. Well, if itโs not, Iโm on my way to protest. Join me? ;)
Joy, if you havenโt tried a butter & duck fat pie crust, then you should get on that right away. I made one a few weeks ago. It was super flaky with an added depth of flavor you just donโt get from 100% butter or butter & shortening pie crusts. Where I am they sell little containers of ready to use duck fat in all the grocery stores, and using it in cooking and baking has quite possibly changed my life (for the better)!
I would love a future tutorial on pre-baking a pie crust. Every time I try I end up with a sagging butter-blob. I use kidney beans as my pie weights, is it time to invest in the real deal?
I have the same problem with pre-baking! Iโve used beans and ceramic pie weights, with no difference. Iโm not sure what Iโm doing wrong? Is it the pie container? I usually use an Emile Henry one. Could that be it?
Carolyn Iโve heard Joy say in a video that she doesnโt pre-bake the pie crust.
Try using a fork to prick holes in the bottom (venting) โ nothing fancy, just rough stab about an inch and a half apart all around and maybe three spaced kind of evenly in the middle. No bubbles because air isnโt trapped under the dough. This works so well, I threw away my beans.
Great Tips!! I definitely need to work on my pie making skills โ these will come in handy!!
I initially read the sixth word in 4. as โtearsโ pronounced โteers,โ as in the stuff that comes out of your eyes when you are really upset about your lopsided, crumbly pie dough situation. I will try not to get any tears or tears in the rolled out dough. Thanks, Joy.
Loll thatโs exactly how I read that too! Not sure why pie crust is such an enigma to beโฆI can bake bread in my sleep, and creme brรปlรฉe with my eyes closedโฆbut the elusive pie crust humbles me every time.
Well calling myself The Kitchen Snob I have to admit โ it should be a crime to use store bought crust. But what about those (like me) whose countertops are circa 1990 ceramic tile? The thought of rolling dough into the grout grooves really freaks me out. :-) This is why I hope Santa brings me a giant butcher block board from Williams Sonoma!
Buy yourself a Roulโpat to roll out your pastry on. Best invention ever! I love mine. No more rolling on the counter.
I made salty honey pie last night (DROOL SWOON), andโฆ I used store bought. DONโT HATE ME. I just didnโt have the butter or time! But I swear on my bottle of bourbon, next time I will make the crust!
That is almost the same recipe that I use, and your right COLD butter is key to the perfect flaky crust! By the way, those pies looks delicious!
You are so right about fearโ bread is the same way. There you have a craggy mass of dough on your board it can sense if you approach it with hesitation. You have to take control and not be afraid of getting your hands full of wet dough. Yep!! I am definitely going to try the crust. Have you ever made it with vodka? I read about that too but havenโt tried it.
I have forever been looking for a pie crust recipe and I think I have finally found it! Thank you soo much! I use to make fruit tarts, but I would buy the little crusts from a bakery in NYC and ever since I moved I have been looking for a good one but have never found it. Iโm going to try this recipe this week!
http://www.passionandparanoia.com
I totally agree Joy that store bought pie crusts are a CRIME! I have made it my mission to teach my friends how to make homemade pie dough. That being said I still hope to attend one of your pie making workshops at King Arthur flours someday! Canโt wait to try a few of these pies for Thanksgiving. Happy Holidays to you!
Great tips, and I love those step-by-step photos! I always make a double batch of pie crusts and freeze half the dough for any future pie cravings!
This is such a usefull post! In a lot of recipes, people refer to premade pie crust, but you canโt buy that where I live, so I needed a good recipe for the crust. Thanks a lot!
Hi Joy:
Is there something I could substitute for buttermilk? I live in Thailand and you can not purchase buttermilk here?
Thanks
You can substitute buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice and topping up with milk to make 1 cup. Easy as pie! You could also make real buttermilk if you have heavy cream. The Internet has many options!!
you can do this: Stir 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice into 1 cup of whole milk, then let it stand for 3 minutes. Or google buttermilk substitute ;)
Good substitute for buttermilk is 1 cup of milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons of cream of tartar and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Just stir until thick and use
Making pie crust is so soothing! I really find it gets me into a good head space. This recipe is lovely joy!
one questionโฆ Can I use food processor? cutting the cold butter into flour sometimes requires a lot of strengthโฆwill it change the results?
Aah your blog is so beautiful and well put together! Love the photos!
Xx
Rhea
http://www.fuss.co.in