Homemade Pie Crust - Pâte Brisée
Is there anything better than a flaky homemade pie crust? This is the basic unsweetened all-purpose Pâte brisée recipe you are going to need for your pies and quiches. It's buttery, flaky, and tender. Today, I share my no-fail method using a food processor but you can also do this crust by hand.
Pie crust sounds intimidating, and yet it is really not difficult to make. We always have flour, butter, salt, and water at home. Don't we? Yet, most people will take the trouble to go out and buy store-bought pie crust instead of just making it themselves. And, it's often just because we perceive it as being difficult to make.
A small word of advice, try making it at least once and you will be pleasantly surprised how easy and do-able this is. Furthermore, pie crust is the one recipe where you get rewarded for being imperfect. While in most recipes, we aim for perfection, in a pie crust, less is better. Since, if you do less with that dough it will reward you with the flakiest pastry. Does that sound difficult?
About this homemade pie crust recipe
This is my favorite pie crust recipe that I have been using in all my pies and quiches. It is made with all butter because I do love that nice rich buttery flavor.
Make sure the butter is chilled so you get a nice flaky pie crust. If your butter melts you will lose that flakiness. The pieces of fat in the dough melt in the oven during baking, this fat creates steam. This steam creates the separation in the dough which results in that flakiness.
My secret to making a good pie crust is to chill everything I use in the fridge for an hour. I measure my ingredients and leave it in the fridge. Flour, butter, water. That way when I am ready to make the crust it takes me just about 5 minutes using a food processor or 10 minutes by hand.
Below you will find my tips and tricks as well as frequently asked questions and troubleshooting that will help you master a single or double pie crust every single time.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Butter - I like using all butter for that superior butter flavor but you can also use half vegetable shortening. My mom used half high-fat vegetable shortening. Make sure to chill the shortening for at least an hour before you use it.
- Flour - Use a good unbleached all-purpose flour. Do not use self-rising or bread flour. We want a flaky pie crust that does not rise or become chewy.
- Salt- Don't forget to add salt to your pie crust it does bring out the flavor. My mom would add a teaspoon of sugar in her pie crust too. We loved her pies and quiches.
- Water - you want chilled water from the fridge. You can add ice to your water to chill it. Do not add ice directly to the dough it will eventually make the dough soggy. Also do not use milk as it will the milk solids will burn and give a very dark crust.
How to make the flakiest homemade pie crust (save/pin)
- Cut butter into cubes and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Measure out the chilled water (I like to use ice in my water).
- Add flour and salt in the food processor.
- Followed by the butter cubes.
- Pulse for 30 seconds or more until fine bread crumb consistency.
- Add the chilled water thru the feeding tube while the processor is on.
- The mixture will still be crumbly, but when squished with your hands you should be able to form a ball.
- Remove onto a clean worktop.
- Bring it all together but do not knead. It will be a rough dough and that's a good thing.
- For a double crust, divide into two (more for the top and less for the bottom).
- Wrap in parchment paper (in the video I've used cling wrap but these days I have switched to parchment paper).
- Place in the fridge to chill for an hour at least.
Roll the pie crust
- Dust the work board with flour.
- Open the dough and roll carefully so it does not crack too much.
- Use your pie pan as a guide to know how big you need it.
- When you reach the desired size, transfer the dough without cracking.
- Fold the pastry in half then quarter. Place it on the pie pan and open the folds (shown in images below for double pie crust).
- Alternatively, place the pastry over the rolling pin to transfer (see video).
- Gently fit it to the pie pan especially in the bottom edges.
- Cut the excess from the edges leaving a 1/2 inch for crimping.
- Fold the excess under so you have a pretty round edge.
- Crimp the edge by forming a V shape with your thumb and index finger.
- Let cool in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven at 200 C / 400 F.
- Line the pie with parchment paper, then fill the center with pie weights or baking beans.
- Bake for 15 minutes - then remove the pie weights and parchment paper.
- Add the filling and bake it further for as long and necessary - until the filling is cooked.
- If the pie edges get too dark just tent the edges with foil or pie shield to prevent it from becoming too dark.
Flaky Homemade Pie Crust Recipe (Pâte Brisée)
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Ingredients
All Butter Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 cup (190 g) All-purpose flour
- 4 oz (113 g) Unsalted butter (1 stick, 1/2 cup) chilled, cubed
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) Chilled water
Combination Butter and Shortening Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 cup (190 g) All-purpose flour
- 2 oz (60 g) Unsalted Butter (4 tbsp, 1/2 stick) chilled, cubed
- 2 oz (60 g) Vegetable shortening (1/4 cup), chilled
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) Water
Instructions
Pie crust using a food processor
- Cut butter into cubes and place in the freezer for 10 minutes
- Measure out the chilled water (I like to use ice in my water)
- Add flour and salt in the food processor
- Followed by the frozen butter cubes (add vegetable shortening one tablespoon at a time)
- Pulse for 30 seconds or more until fine bread crumb consistency
- Add the chilled water through the feeding tube while the processor is on
- The mixture will still be crumbly but when squished with your hands you should be able to form a ball.
- Remove onto a clean work surface.
- Bring it all together but do not knead. It will be a rough dough and that’s a good thing.
- Wrap in cling or plastic wrap
- Place in the fridge to chill for an hour at least.
Roll the crust
- Dust the work board with flour.
- Open the dough and roll carefully so it does not crack too much.
- Use your pie pan as a guide to know how big you need it.
- When you reach the desired size, transfer the dough without cracking.
- Fold the pastry in half then quarter. Place it on the pie pan and open the folds.(shown in image for double pie crust or see video)
- Alternatively, place the pastry over the rolling pin to transfer (show in images for single pie crust or see video)
- Gently fit it to the pie pan especially in the bottom edges
- Cut the excess from the edges leaving a 1/2 inch for crimping.
- Fold the excess under so you have a pretty round edge.
- Crimp the edge by forming a V shape with your thumb and index finger.
- Let cool in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Bake the crust
- Preheat the oven at 200 C / 400 F.
- Line the pie with parchment paper, then fill the center with pie weights or baking beans.
- Bake for 15 minutes – then remove the pie weights and parchment paper.
- Add the filling and bake it further for as long and necessary – until the filling is cooked.
- If the pie edges get too dark just tent the edges with foil or pie shield to prevent it from becoming too dark.
Recipe Notes
6 Tips to making the perfect flaky pie crust every single time (Save/Pin)
The secret to making a perfect pie crust is not only in the recipe but in the method of making it.- Fat - you will see a big difference in the quality of your crust based on the fat you use. If you ask my mom, it can't be all butter. It had to be mostly full-fat GHEE (Shortening) and some butter for flavor. The higher the ratio your fat is, the better the crust.
My grandmother would use 100% lard (animal fat). For her, making a pie crust with butter is a No-No! And yet, she lived healthily until 89.
I, on the other hand, never use lard for making my pie crust. I use butter or sometimes half butter and half veg shortening. I'd be lucky if I live to her age..! - The amount of water in your pie dough plays a very important role in the final texture. Too much water will make your crust very tough. And too little will make it very crumbly. Crumbly is good, and yet you still want to be able to hold a slice of pie.
- Avoid the fat/butter from melting into your flour. I usually place my bowl with the flour and chilled butter into the fridge for at least half an hour before I start to work it into the dough. Those of you living in a hot and humid climate can avoid touching the dough too much with your hands by rolling the pastry between two parchment papers.
- Also, use chilled iced water to maintain the temperature of the dough.
- Cool the pie crust for at least half-hour before you bake. This will prevent the sides from shrinking.
- Let the pre-baked crust cool for 15 minutes before you add in the filling. This will prevent the liquid from being absorbed into the crust. And if your filling is very liquidy, brush the pastry with egg white, before adding the filling. This creates a seal between the filling and crust.
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
The Secret to Making the perfect crimp for your pie crust?
- Use the edge of your pan to help support the crimp. Cut the excess pastry such that when you fold it sits on top of that edge.
- So once you crimp it stays on that edge all through baking.
- As a result, when baked you get a perfect crimp.
Frequently asked questions
The basic pie crust ingredients are butter, flour, water, and a pinch of salt. Often a tiny amount of vinegar (1/2 tsp) is added in the belief that it tenderizes the pie dough. Vinegar inhibits the development of gluten resulting in a flaky pie crust.
If you added too much water - just add a tablespoon or two of flour and bring it all together. And if the dough is soft and sticky, which usually appears wet, it means the dough is probably too warmed up. Shape it into a ball and wrap it in cling wrap. Chill it until it firm enough to roll.
If the pie crust is too hard to roll it means the dough is too chilled. Give it a few minutes on the counter to thaw so it's pliable enough to roll. Because if you try to roll when it's hard it will crack too much. You want your dough chilled and yet still easy enough to roll.
It's best to chill the pastry before you bake it. That makes sure the butter stays cold. When baked, the butter melts into the dough and makes a beautiful flaky crust. And if the pie crust is not cold the dough tends to shrink.
You can use coconut oil for the pie crust instead of butter or shortening. Coconut oil will need to be solidified in the fridge before you cut it into the flour just like butter. I prefer the combination of half coconut oil or half butter.
A pre-baked pie crust needs to bake for 20 minutes with pie weight (baking beans), then without any weight for another 10 minutes.
Sometimes, when the pie filling is too liquidy it can soak into the bottom pie crust making it soggy. One way to avoid it is to brush the bottom pre-baked pie crust with egg whites. This essentially creates a seal between the crust and the filling.
If you live in a hot and humid climate - place the flour and salt in a bowl and keep the bowl in the fridge for about an hour. This will keep the ingredients cold. Avoid touching the dough too much with your warm hands. Also, flip the dough over the rolling pin when possible. Work on the back of a chilled baking tray rather than a counter-top. And chill the tray in the fridge when you let it rest. That way the dough and tray will stay cold at all times.
A good guide to use is a 3:2:1 part ratio which means 3 parts of flour to 2 parts of fat to 1 part of water. With that basic formula, you can make a couple of pies at the same time. It has helped me many times because I do sometimes bake 6 pies all at once.
Is butter or shortening better for the pie crust?
The shortening is 100% fat while butter is 80% fat. So yes, shortening gives you the flakiest pie crust. On the other hand, butter has so much more flavor. Therefore, butter is usually my choice of fat when it comes to pastry. You can use all butter, shortening, lard, or try 50% butter and 50% shortening. See which you prefer.
Why do we use so much butter in Pâte Brisée
Classic Pie crust is all about the fat, mostly butter (you can use high ratio shortening too). The butter is literally cut into or broken into the flour with a pastry cutter, fork, finger-tip or food processor. Consequently, leaving pieces of butter in the dough. Often as large as pea-size pieces of butter. This process of cutting in the butter coats every grain of flour which slows the process of gluten and keeps the dough tender and flaky.
So, when rolled out you can have small to large pieces of visible butter in the dough. This is not a sign of imperfection but rather a sign of good pastry dough. Those pieces of butter melt in the hot oven, resulting in a flaky, crispy pie crust.
So you see, butter (or shortening/lard) is an important component in the dough. Hence, you need to use good quality butter. In fact, use a good quality European butter. Because the water content is less in European butter. And as a result, you get a superior quality of the pie crust.
What is blind bake and how to blind bake a pie crust?
Blind baking a pie crust simply means to prebake the crust without any filling inside it. This is a great technique when the filling usually needs much less time to bake. For example, delicate chocolate or custard-based pies. And baking the pie crust partially ahead of time makes for a tender more flakier pie crust.
Do I have to use pie weights or baking beans?
When blind baking a pie crust we use baking beans or pie weights. The weights work as a mock filling, which can be removed once the pie crust is partially baked. The filling is then added and the pie goes back into the oven for further cooking.
If you do not use any pie weight - the sides of the pie crust can collapse into the center and the bottom of the pie crust may puff up. If the sides fall in you won't be able to keep the filling in the middle. Nor will it look good when you slice the pie. Also, it means you have less space for pie filling.
Do I need a food processor to make a pie crust?
No, you don't. All you need is a bowl and your finger-tips. Having said that, my favorite equipment when making any pastry is the food processor. I like to cut the butter into the flour until it reaches fine bread crumb consistency. And I find the food processor gives an even distribution of butter in the flour making a very stable dough that's easy to roll without very large chunks of butter. Also, it takes less than 30 seconds to pulse the whole thing. This helps in keeping everything cold and working quickly.
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Suzy
I love this homemade pie crust! It's easier to make then most thing and is so versatile!
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely, very versatile, Suzy. Thanks
cf
This pie crust is so easy! No reason to use store bought after trying this!!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, cf. So happy you liked using my recipe. Thanks for coming back to leave this feedback.
Michelle
Beautiful pie crust! Perfect for Thanksgiving!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Michelle.
Jessica Formicola
This is my absolute favorite pie crust recipe! IT turns out perfect every time, and tastes amazing too!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Jessica. So happy to hear that. Appreciate you coming back to write this feedback
Dannii
I usually just buy pastry, but this has made me want to try it myself.
Veena Azmanov
Ah, so happy to hear that, Dannii. Let me know how it was.
Jyothi (Jo)
Wow crust looks perfect. Making your own pie crust is so much better than anything. Love all the tips you shared to make perfect crust.
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely Jyothi. Nothing like homemade crust
Mahy Elamin
Just wanted to write a big THANK YOU for the post! These are really great tips! I would like to try to make it on Christmas day and I hope that I will succeed.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Mahy. You are very welcome. So happy you find these tips useful.
Jeannette
You are right, there is nothing like Homemade Flaky Pie Crust! You really have to be meticulous to get it just right. A perfect crust can make anything 100 times better.
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely, Jeannette. Nothing like homemade pie crust
Cheese Curd In Paradise
I haven't made a pie crust before! I need to get moving on it and eventually try it out. Thank you for a great recipe to motivate me!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, this is really simple and easy.
danielle wolter
These are great tips! I had a goal this year to start making my own pie crust, and this is perfect. All your tips are going to help greatly! Pinned for when I get enough courage to try 🙂
Veena Azmanov
Awesome Danielle, you have come to the right place. I think with my tips you will have the perfect pie crust for sure.
Shinta Simon
I'm noting all your tips, Veena! I'm usually an all-butte pie person, but I must try shortening the next time, and see the difference it makes to m pie crusts.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Shinta. I love a good all-butter pie crust too!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
There certainly is nothing better than a flaky pie crust and nothing beats making your own. Thanks for the tips
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely! nothing is better than homemade pie crust
Danielle
I have never made my own pie crust, as it's so easy to buy it. But it must be really satisfying to make it yourself.
Veena Azmanov
Yeah, it's sure easy to buy but I love making my own. Nothing is better than the homemade flaky pastry.
Priya
I always wanted to try pie crust at home! thank you for sharing the recipe
Veena Azmanov
You are welcome Priya - Thanks
Adriana Lopez Martn
A good pie needs to have a good foundation thanks for sharing all your secrets and tips to achieve the best crust =)
Veena Azmanov
You are very welcome Adriana. So happy to hear you found it useful
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
That is one perfect pie crust and trust me I would it is totally worth the fat we are using. Fat is what makes it flaky. Love your detailed explanations. Makes it so much easier for beginners!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Sandhya..!
Renz
Great tutorial. I've always been nervous about making pie crusts myself. You've provided some great little pointers that would help in my next attempt. Thanks for sharing.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Renz. So happy to hear that.
Soniya
I must confess I have never tried making pie crust at home... always bought it from store, but after seeing your recipe will definitely try it at home.. very well explained!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much Soniya..! So happy to hear you say that.
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
I've really gotten lazy with pie crusts but you've inspired me to just make it homemade. I know it's not hard, although I have had some tough crusts before. I am picturing your crust recipe with a quiche. I do love savory.
Veena Azmanov
Me too Marisa. I love savory as well. SO happy to hear this post motivated you. Thanks
p
Love your posts veena, It is very lovely, how patiently you explain every detail in making a great recipe! Making a pie-crust definitely needs a lot of attention!! great post!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much P.. So happy to hear you say that. Yes, I do believe I write long post. Thankfully people do appreciate it.
Madi
I've never tried making a pie crust before! Now I have to, this looks so great!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Madi.. So happy to hear you say that.
Christine McMichael
I definitely foresee this flakey pie crust in my near future! Pies will never be the same 🙂 Love it, can't wait to try it out!
Veena Azmanov
So happy to hear that Christine.. Yeah once you get addicted - it's alwway hommemade
Crysta
I am always looking for a good crust recipe. I'll save this for later!
Veena Azmanov
Happy to hear that Crysta
Dene' V. Alexander
I love love love making pie crust from scratch. Sometimes I will add cream cheese with the butter to provide a different flavor!! Fabulous classic recipe and tips you have provided!!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Dene.. I like the taste of cream or milk but I find the sugars in them tend to make the crust a bit more darker when baking
Jodi @ Create Kids Club
What a wonderful tutorial I will be coming back to the next time I am making a pie! Crust is a challenge for me 🙂
Veena Azmanov
So happy to hear that Jodi. Thanks - Yes crust can be a bit challenging but once you get it.. you good!
karyn
Absolutely fabulous post.. full of helpful information and a great recipe as well..job well done
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much Karyn
Julia
I remember when I took baking courses they also told us about 3-2-1 ratio of ingredients. I am quite bad ant crust - I can't ever make it with this little water, it just never holds together. I usually add a bit vodka or other hard liquor - since it's alcohols it evaporates in the oven but still add some enough moisture to help forming the dough
Veena Azmanov
Ah Julia.. you sound like my grandma.. she use to add a little alcohol too! Same explanation. If it works - why not!!
Pam
The crust can really make or break the pie. This looks like a good recipe for a tasty and flaky pie crust!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Pam
Daniela Anderson
Gorgeous flaky crust, it is really baked to perfection. I agree that fat is what makes it better, and tastier. I think the problem nowadays is that we are too scared of fat, and forget that sugar is way more dangerous, hence I do not believe in low-calory or 0 fat products. This crust is great for chocolately treats, and so many more. Amazing!
Veena Azmanov
I am with you on that.. I too believe in a balance diet. Everything in moderation. Thands Daniela
shalu
Excellent recipe.This looks delicious and perfect crust.Are tarts made the same way?