All-Butter Pie Crust

A nice, flaky pie crust is all about texture and technique. This all-butter pie crust is a no-frills, classic recipe that yields a perfect crust every time. I’ve been on quite the pie crust journey, so I can confidently vouch for it.

This crust just uses flour, butter, salt, water, and your hands! No food processor, no vodka, and no hacks, tricks, skips, etc. Because for a good, old-fashioned, flaky and buttery pie crust, you just don’t need it, you know?

There’s something so satisfying about biting into a tender, buttery, flaky pie crust, and this all-butter pie crust is the one basic recipe that will deliver on that result every time. Use it for your fruit pies, your winter galettes, your spring tarts – anything! It’s a good one to have in your back pocket, and it’s one of the most satisfying things to make.

Ingredients you will need for an all-butter pie crust

When I said it was simple, I meant it. This is as rustic of a crust as they come (you can’t beat the classics!) so this is what you need:

• 1 1/2 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 3/4 cup (170g) salted butter, cold
• 5 tablespoons ice water
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional and for if you are making a sweet crust

How to make an all-butter pie crust

I broke the instructions down below, but really this recipe is all about faith. You really can’t mess it up too much, it will always be delicious, so just go for it! I like to think of it as adult Play-Dough, and once you’ve mastered the skill of an all-butter pie crust, you’ll always have it in your back pocket.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. If you are using sugar, add it in here. Remove your butter from the fridge, you want it as cold as possible. Use the large holes of a box grater to grate in the butter in pieces.
2. Toss to coat all the butter in flour, using your hands to press the butter into flat pieces, keeping some in large shards, and others in smaller pieces. The dough should be rough, but not crumbly.
3. When you can squeeze the dough and it comes together just slightly, but then immediately breaks apart, that’s when you are ready to add the ice water.
4. Add in 4 tablespoons of ice water and quickly mix the dough with a fork. It should start to come together in a clumpy mixture. If you need more moisture, add the remaining water.
5. Move the dough to a work surface and press the dough down until it is about 2″ high. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough in half. Pile the pieces on top of each other, and press them down. This is creating more lamination in the crust. Rotate 90°, press down and repeat the process a few times, dusting with flour as needed. Note: If you see butter break through any part of the dough, sprinkle a bit of flour over it to help seal it up.
6. After laminating the dough a few times, press the dough down until it is 1-inch thick, sprinkle it with flour and wrap tightly in cling wrap.
7. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into the edges of the cling wrap, forming a tight rectangle.
8. From here you can either chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and then use it right away, keep it in the fridge for up to a week for use, or store it in the freezer for up to 6-8 months.

How to use the pie crust

Another great (and important) question – the key thing is that pie crusts need to be chilled before you roll them out, and then chilled again before you bake them. The colder the better. This gives the butter a chance to keep its integrity, so it can give you all those big, light, fluffy and flaky layers!

• When you are ready to use the pie crust, pull it out from the fridge or freezer and unwrap it on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a bit more flour on top.
• Use a rolling pin to lightly hit and smack the dough to warm it up for use. Do this for a few minutes, occasionally annoying the neighbors 😉
• Begin rolling out the dough with even pressure. Rotate, flip and dust with more flour as needed.
• This dough is enough for one pie crust. Once it is shaped to your liking, chill it again in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking. This helps maintain the texture of the crust and your overall result!

How to bake the pie crust

When you are ready to bake, remove the crust from the fridge. If you prefer a deep golden crust, whisk up an egg and use a brush to brush it onto the crust as an egg wash. Do this right before baking.

Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, or bake according to your particular recipe’s instructions.

Storage tips

Once your dough is made and wrapped, you can store it one of three ways:

Option 1 – Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes then use it right away.

Option 2 – Store it in the fridge for up to a week for later use.

Option 3 – Store it in the freezer for up to 6-8 months.

Why is this recipe in grams?

Grams are always my preference for baking, and I hope it will be yours, too. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, not volume. One cup of flour can weigh all the way from 120 grams to 160 grams, depending on how it was packed. This ends up causing some volatility and mismatched results.

I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe foolproof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this particular recipe.

Looking for ways to use this all-butter pie crust?

These recipes have their own crusts baked-in, but consider them a great starting point if you are looking for ideas!

And that’s it for this all-butter pie crust!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course, feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you.