All Butter Pie Crust Recipe

Square image of chilled and wrapped all butter crust with a rolling pin.

All Butter Pie Crust Recipe

This classic all-butter pie crust is flaky, tender, and full of buttery flavor. Made with just five simple ingredients, the dough is easy to roll and works beautifully for sweet and savory pies, tarts, and quiches. Make it ahead or freeze it for easy holiday baking.

Prep Time20

Chilling Time2

Total Time2 20

Servings: pie crusts

Calories: 142kcal

Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt (use ½ teaspoon if using salted butter)
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ pound or 2 sticks), chilled and cut into ½-inch cubes
7 tablespoons ice water plus more by the teaspoon if needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut or pulse the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
Add 7 tablespoons ice water and mix just until the dough begins to form large clumps and holds together when pressed. If needed, add additional ice water 1 teaspoon at a time. Avoid overmixing or adding more water than necessary.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Using floured hands or a bench scraper, gently bring the dough together into a ball. Handle it as little as possible; the dough does not need to be smooth.
Divide the dough in half and gently shape each portion into a 1-inch-thick disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 5 days.
When ready to use, roll out the chilled dough according to your pie recipe.

PIE CRUST ROLLING TIP: Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the chilled dough from the center outward using gentle, even pressure, turning the dough occasionally to keep it round. If the edges crack, gently press them back together. If the dough becomes too soft, refrigerate it briefly before continuing.

Notes

Make Ahead: Prepare the dough up to 5 days in advance and keep tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.
Freezing: Freeze the wrapped dough discs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
Keep It Cold: Cold butter is essential for flaky layers. If the dough or butter begins to soften while you work, refrigerate it briefly before continuing.
Yield: Makes enough dough for one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies in 9-inch pie plates.
Deep-Dish Pies: This recipe provides a generous amount of pastry for a standard 9-inch pie. For especially deep or oversized pie plates, roll carefully and avoid trimming the overhang until the crust is fitted.
For Apple Pie: This is the crust I use for my classic Apple Pie Recipe. For a woven top crust, see my Lattice Pie Crust Tutorial.

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