Pie Crust
This butter pie crust is simple, easy, and delicious!
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cold
4 to 8 Tablespoons ice water
Stir salt and flour together.
Cut butter into flour mixture. To do this, cut the butter into pats roughly 1 tablespoon each. Put them into the mixing bowl with the flour and ensure they are all coated. Then rub the flour into the butter pieces until the butter is broken up into small pieces with some remaining pea sized pieces. Alternatively you can pulse the flour mixture and butter pats together in a food processor until the butter is reduced to pea sized pieces (then move the mixture to a mixing bowl for the next step).
Add 4 Tablespoons ice water. Stir gently to combine. Add more water one Tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together.
Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. After refrigeration, the dough should be ready to roll. If you've refrigerated more than 30 minutes, let the dough sit out for 10 to 15 minutes before you try to roll it.
This recipe is enough for a double pie crust - two pies or a top and bottom crust for 1 pie. Make half the recipe if you only want a bottom crust. If you want to bake a single pie shell, roll out your dough (half this recipe), place it in your pie pan, pressing firmly to ensure contact between the dough and pan. Line the crust with foil and fill with pie weights (or dry beans or sugar). Bake at 400° F for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. You may need to shield the edges with a pie shield or foil if they start to get too dark.
Note: I’ve made this dairy free by substituting Country Crock vegan butter sticks for the regular butter and it works beautifully!