How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust with Video

How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust with a Simple How to Video | The Bearfoot Baker

I’ll admit it. When I was a kid I didn’t like eating pie crust. I didn’t quite understand why we needed them. If you think about it, the inside of the pie was the treasure we were all after. Thank goodness I grew out of that awkward stage and now love a good homemade flaky pie crust.

How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

The only thing I love more than eating them is making them. If you think you can’t make one, stick around. Once you know a few simple tips you’ll be looking for reasons to make them.

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How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust with Video

A delicious homemade pie crust is the foundation of a perfect pie. This flaky recipe yields enough dough for one top layered pie or two topless pie crusts.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 1 Top Layered Crust or 2 Topless Crusts

Ingredients

  • 1 1 ⁄2 cups of all-purpose flour and more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 1 1 ⁄2 teaspoon of sugar
  • 2 sticks 8 ounces of unsalted, cold butter cut into small pieces. Place it in the freezer for a few minutes before adding it to the food processor.
  • 1 ⁄4 to 1⁄/2 cups of ice cold water

Instructions

  • To make the pie dough, place the all-purpose flour, salt and sugar in a food processor.
  • Pulse it a few times to mix the ingredients.
  • Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
  • Add the water a little at a time.
  • Work the dough until it begins to come together. You'll know it's ready when a small amount will stick together when you squeeze it. You don't want to overwork it as it will become tough.
  • Divide the dough in half and place it on two pieces of plastic wrap.
  • Use the plastic wrap to form a disc and then wrap them.
  • Roll the disc with a rolling pin to flatten it out.
  • Place the disc in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
  • Set the dough on the counter for about 5 minutes before you begin to roll it out. If not, the edges of the dough will crack.
  • Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough a few inches larger than your pie pan.
  • Use the rolling pin to help place the dough on the pie pan and gently place it in the bottom and around the sides.
  • Trim off the excess leaving about one-inch overhang.
  • Fold the rim under. Use the other disc to make a top crust once you add your pie filling. If you want to make two pies, crimp the edges with your fingertips and repeat with the second disc.
  • Wrap each crust with plastic wrap and freeze. Once the dough is frozen, you can stack them in the freezer until you're ready to use them.
  • Before you make your pie crust, cut the butter into small pieces and place it in the freezer for a few minutes. This is important. As the butter melts during baking, it will melt into the dough which will cause steam that makes little pockets and that is what will make your pie crust flaky and delicious.

How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust with a How to Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Add the flour, salt, and sugar to a food processor and pulse it a few times to make sure everything is mixed well.
  • Add the cold unsalted butter.
  • Pulse it a few times and then check to see how big the butter pieces are.
  • You’ll need to pulse it until the mixture looks like a coarse meal with pea sized clumps of butter pieces.
  • Add about half of the ice cold water (no ice, just water) and pulse.
  • Check to see if the dough will stick together. If not, add more water. The dough needs to hold together when you squeeze it.
  • Be careful and don’t overwork it or your pie crust will end up tough.

How to Make a Simple Homemade Pie Crust with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Once your dough holds its shape, pour half of it onto some plastic wrap.
  • Use the plastic wrap to shape the dough into a disc.
  • Repeat with the remaining dough.

Make a Homemade Pie Crust with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Wrap the plastic wrap around the dough and then use the rolling pin to flatten it.

How to Make a Pie Crust with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Place it in the fridge to chill for at least one hour.
  • Remove from the fridge and let it rest on the counter before you begin to roll it out.

How to Make a Pie Crust with a Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • If the dough is too cold when you roll it, it will crack.
  • Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface and rub your rolling pin with flour.
  • Each time you roll the dough, rotate it so it won’t stick to the surface of the table. It’s kind of like a dance, roll it once, twist it once. Roll it once, twist it once.
  • If you have a 9″ pie pan, you’ll need to roll the dough to a 13″ diameter.

Homemade Pie Crust with a Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Use the rolling pin to gently lift the dough onto the pie plate.
  • Cut away the excess dough leaving a one-inch overhang.

How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust-Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Fold the edge of the dough all the way around the pie pan to create an edge.

I’m not going to lie to you. This is my favorite part, but not all my pie crusts are perfect. Neither am I, so it’s okay. It’ll taste great even if it has a few ‘not-so-perfect spots’ on the rim. The point is, it’s a great tasting, homemade, flaky pie crust and I made it all by myself. The best part is, I had fun doing it!

How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust-Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Now it’s time to crimp the edges.
  • Gently use your thumb to press the dough in between your pointer finger and thumb to make a nice crimped edge.
  • Place the pie crust into the fridge to chill or freeze it until you’re ready to use it.
  • Once you freeze the pie crust, you can make several, wrap them in plastic wrap, and stack them to use later. This is really helpful when you’re making a lot of pies for the holidays.

How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust Video:

The important tips you need to remember is to use cold butter and ice-cold water. Other than that, just relax. It isn’t rocket science and you should have fun.

How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

Is it me or does that pie crust seem to be asking for a cherry filling? Blueberry? Chocolate? Apple? What kind of filling are you going to use in your pie crust?

Bear hugs,

Lisa