Follow this recipe for the perfect pie crust for all your holiday pies.
Recipe by Sarah McCullen | Photographed by Joe Worthem
There’s something special about a buttery, flaky homemade pie crust. Check out the November issue for pie recipes that promise to elevate this traditional crust.
Perfect Pie Crust
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter
½ cup ice water
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt.
Using a cheese grater, grate cold butter into flour mixture, then toss until butter is coated. Add ice water to the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, and using your hands, form into a ball. The butter should still be visible, and the mixture should be mealy. Chill dough for 30 minutes. Place dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, and roll to about 1/8-inch thickness. Chill the disk until ready to use.
Let sit out for 5 minutes before using.
Pie-Baking Tips
· For fruit pies, cook the filling before adding it to the pie to eliminate excess liquid. Also, always use a thickener like flour or cornstarch.
· Bake pies at low temperatures (325-350°F) to ensure the bottom crust is completely cooked.
· For bottom pie crusts, the butter should still be visible in the dough, but for lattices and decorative pieces, the butter should be better incorporated to create a sturdier crust. Simply combine the butter more thoroughly into the dough.
· To create a lattice, cut strips from a rolled-out, unbaked pie crust. Lay the strips about an inch apart across the pie vertically. Next, lay pieces horizontally, weaving above and below the vertical pieces in an alternating pattern.