1¼cupsall purpose flourplus more for flouring your work surface
1tablespoongranulated sugaromit if pie crust is for a savory pie
⅛teaspoonsalt
4ouncesunsalted buttercut into small cubes (freeze the butter cubes for 20-30 minutes prior to use for best results)
3-5tablespoonsice water*
Instructions
Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your food processor and pulse about 5 times until combined. Add the cubed butter and pulse in short, quick pulses (do not process!) until it resembles coarse meal or peas. You want to see clumps of butter -- that's a good thing.
Add 3 tablespoons of water through the feed tube while pulsing in short, quick pulses once again. Be careful not to pulse too much -- just until the water is incorporated. Remove the lid and check the dough. If you can pinch it together and it holds, it's fine. If it's still dry, add 1-2 tablespoons more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, incorporating it with short, quick pulses once more, until it's cohesive.
Turn the dough out onto your work surface, and knead it together with your hands and form it into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for about 30 minutes prior to rolling to relax the gluten and chill that butter back up!
Once chilled, unwrap the dough and place on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the dough and flour your rolling pin, and roll the dough out from the middle to the outer edge, going in about 10 minute intervals clockwise around to form a circle. After every couple of rolls, make sure to lift the dough and sprinkle more flour underneath to prevent sticking. If the dough does stick, scrape any bits of dough from your work surface as it's a magnet for even more sticking.
Roll the dough until it's large enough to hang over the edge of your pie pan by a couple of inches. Once it's large enough, use your rolling pin to gently roll the dough around it, and unroll it right into your pie plate.
Tuck the dough gently into the inside of the pie pan, then use a bench scraper or knife to trim the edges around the top of the pie. It's ok to leave a little extra for crimping, etc. as the top does shrink a bit.
From there, crimp your edges as best as you can, or use the scraps to cut out decorative shapes.
Notes
Pro tip: Always start with the minimum amount of water, and add only 1 more tablespoon at a time until the dough is cohesive. The amount of water you need will vary.
Make this flaky pie crust 1-2 days in advance and store in the refrigerator wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature until it’s just soft enough to roll.
Pie dough may be frozen immediately after making it in a food processor -- just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap in more of a flattened disk for easier rolling once thawed, and wrap in foil as well. You may also freeze it in a plate that is freezer safe, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw in the refrigerator over night before using.
Yields (1) 9" pie crust. Recipe is easily doubled for a double crust pie.