80 minutes
A classic pie crust recipe that yields a tender and flaky crust, perfect for any pie.
Unsalted Butter, chilled
tablespoons
Vegetable Shortening, chilled
tablespoons
tablespoons
teaspoons
tablespoons
tablespoons
1. Prepare and Chill Fats
Cut the butter and shortening into small pieces, then chill them in the refrigerator until they are very cold.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients
While the fats are chilling, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse the mixture a few times to ensure the ingredients are well-mixed.
3. Add Fats to Dry Ingredients
Add the chilled butter and shortening to the dry ingredients. Process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, which should take about 10 seconds.
4. Add Liquids and Form Dough
Pour in the ice water and vodka, and process the dough until it begins to clump together. Once the dough starts to come together, transfer it to a work surface and press it into a ball.
5. Chill Dough
Flatten the ball into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
6. Roll Out Dough
When you're ready to use the dough, lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle, applying even pressure and rotating the dough to ensure it rolls out evenly.
7. Transfer to Pie Plate
Carefully transfer the rolled dough to a 9-inch pie plate, gently fitting it into the plate without stretching it. Trim the edges as needed, leaving a bit of overhang to fold under for a neat edge.
Add grated cheese, such as Parmesan, cheddar, or Gruyère, to the flour before blending in the fat. This variant is fantastic for adding depth to quiches or vegetable pies.
Incorporate cocoa powder in place of some of the flour in the classic recipe, and possibly a bit more sugar, to produce a rich, chocolatey crust that's excellent for chocolate or mocha-flavored fillings.
By adding sugar to the basic recipe, you can create a sweet pie crust perfect for desserts. This crust is ideal for fruit pies, custard pies, and tarts.
Swap out some of the cold water with cold vodka, bourbon, or apple cider vinegar. Alcohol can make the dough easier to roll out and may help create an even flakier crust due to its evaporation properties.
Brown the butter before incorporating it into the dough to add a deep, caramel-like flavor. Just make sure to chill it again before using.
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