Perfect Pie Crust
Let me start off by saying I am a bit of a pie snob. I didn’t realize this until I left my parent’s home and realized all pie crusts were not created equal. After leaving my childhood home I begged my mom to let me in on her famous pie making secrets. What it comes down to is using the perfect recipe, with the right mixing technique. It can truly make or break a pie, so trust me when I say, pass on the store bought pie crust, and use this one.
And now presenting, my Mom, Penny…
Hello, all of you holiday cooks out there! I am excited to share what I think is the very best pie crust recipe out there. I have tried lots of recipes, and this one has become my go-to pie crust. It is flaky, delicious, and a great compliment to whatever filling is inside.
There is no such thing as a low-calorie pie crust.
If you find one, I can tell you without tasting it that it doesn’t taste good. So quit fussing around trying to find one that will save you ten or twenty calories. It isn’t worth it. The secret ingredient in this recipe is butter flavored Crisco. Use it. It’s okay to splurge a little around the holidays!
The ingredients are pretty basic, and nothing fancy.
It’s all in how it is put together, so pay attention to the pictures.
Ingredients:
6 cups of flour (I use all-purpose)
3 cups of butter flavored Crisco (No other kind of shortening works as well)
3 tsp. Salt
1 to 1 1/3 cups water
For me, this makes three double pies or six single-shell pies.
For the holidays, I will make this many pies. But when I don’t make that many at a time, I still make the big recipe and stick the remainder in individual freezer bags. I can thaw out a bag whenever making a pie strikes my fancy. If you don’t want to make this many, the ratio is as follows:
2 cups of flour (I use all-purpose)
1 cup of Butter Flavored Crisco (No other kind of shortening works as well)
1 tsp Salt
1/3 to not quite ½ cup of water
This will make one double crust pie or two single shell pies.
—
Directions:
Assuming you are doing the big batch, you will need a LARGE bowl. Get the biggest one you have.
Measure out the flour into the bowl first.
Then plop the shortening on top of the flour.
Then sprinkle the salt all around
DO NOT put the water in yet!
Now go take off your rings and wash your hands. This next part is the most important, and the key to a delicious, flaky pie crust!
You will use your fingers to very delicately sift the shortening and flour mixture together.
Gently break up the shortening into a few separate chunks. Scoop your hands deep into the flour. With a very light touch, wiggle your thumbs and fingers back and forth to break the shortening into the flour. DON’T SMASH the ingredients together. The goal is to get the whole mixture into pea-sized chunks. Quit sifting as soon as you get there.
Over-mixing will cause a tough crust. Yuck!
At this point, start with the lesser amount of water, and sprinkle it on top of the mixture. Gently lift and mix until it is all sticking together. It’s okay to do a little smashing together now.
If it is not sticking together, go ahead and put in a little more water until it is adhering well. (I usually end up adding the greater amount of water. It all depends on the moisture content of your flour and your air.)
Dividing the dough:
If you are using the full recipe, you can break it up into six equal balls. Then roll out your crusts as needed. If you don’t want to make that many pies, just put each ball into a freezer bag, and freeze it ‘til you need it.
Rolling it out:
I like using a pastry mat to roll out my crusts, but it isn’t necessary. Sprinkle a little flour on your rolling surface and your rolling pin. Put your ball of dough in the center and slightly flatten it with your hand. With medium pressure, roll evenly away from you two or three times, then roll from one side to another. This starts to stretch out your dough. It won’t be perfect, so don’t fret. Gently pull your dough off of the surface, re-flour the surface, and flip the dough to the opposite side.
Now repeat the process, going one direction (not back and forth) and shaping it into a circle. You can flip it from one side to the other to keep it from sticking to the surface, I always do. I like to get my crust as thin as I can without it getting holes in it or breaking apart. You can always add a little extra dough in the holes to refill them. For a 9″ pie try to roll it about 11 1/2″ in diameter. 
When your dough is the right size, dust it with a tiny bit of flour, gently fold it in half, and then in fourths. It makes it easy to lift off the mat and put the point into the middle of your pie plate. Then you can unfold it and it will be perfectly centered.
Placing the dough:
Gently (how many times have I said gently?) press the pie to the shape of the pan, making sure that it is pressed into the edges.
You should have a good amount of dough hanging over the edge.
Putting my hand underneath the edge of the crust, I put my fingertip against the edge of the pan. I then cut the crust to the length of my first knuckle. (If that doesn’t make any sense, then look at the picture – you will see what I mean!) Turn the pie pan away from you and cut around. Soon you will have a perfect circle.
The next step is to fold the edge of the dough underneath, thus doubling the thickness of the dough on the edge of the pan. Slightly flatten the edge with your hand.
The edge is a fun place to practice your creativity!
Just flattening it with a fork all the way around is super easy. If you want, you can then use a finger to push the crust in every inch or so for a little scallop.
The one that I like the most is the way my mom always made pies when I was a little girl. I call it the zigzag edge. With your thumb and index finger of your left hand spread out about 3/4″ apart, on the inside of the pie edge, use your right index finger to push the dough in between your left fingers to make the zig. Now move your left thumb into the position your index finger was in previously. Push the dough with your right index finger into the next space for the zag. Keep going all the way around the pie crust.
Now isn’t that pretty? Everyone will be so impressed!
Using a fork, go all around the inside of the pie poking holes every inch or two so that the pie crust doesn’t bubble up while it is cooking.
—
Your crust is now ready to fill with your favorite filling. Or just bake the shell to fill later.
The next trick is all in how you bake it!
For double-crusted fruit pies: Put a little milk on the top crust and sprinkle dry sugar on top of that.
For Meat pies: Use milk and sprinkle on salt.
I always bake my pies on the lowest rack in the oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or 40 minutes, or until the pie shakes loose. Baked pie shells (without the filling) should be baked from 8 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
—
Here is the recipe in a quick printable format. Once you have the steps down, it is super easy! Make sure to reference this post with picture tutorial if you have questions.
You can make one double crusted pie or two single shell pies by adjusting the ingredient measurements below:
*2 cups of flour (I use all-purpose)
*1 cup of Butter Flavored Crisco (No other kind of shortening works as well)
*1 tsp Salt
*1/3 to not quite ½ cup of water
Penny’s Perfect Pie Crust {Seriously. It’s Perfect}.
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Yum! I think I will make Pumpkin, Pecan, Jumble Berry, Lemon Meringue, Dutch Apple . . . . . . (you can never have too many pies for the holidays!)
* I wish I could give credit to the woman I got this recipe from. She taught a pie making class that I attended over 20 years ago in Utah. I don’t remember her name. I think she was from Fruit Heights, Utah.
carolyn spencer says
Hi, I found this recipe years ago in the deseret news. It really is the best pie crust recipe I have ever found. And now I find it here, and you love it too!!!
Nicolette says
Please come and make pies for my Thanksgiving dinner;). Thank you for the perfect recipe, tutorial, and pictures. This is going to be my lifesaver this year!
Erica says
I don’t eat hard vegetable fat, if I put butter do you think it’d work?
Penny says
The basic premise of making pie crust is flour, fat, salt and water. I think using butter would probably work, but I haven’t tried it. If I did, I would make sure that it is at room temperature. Try it and let us know!
Marianne says
No, use chilled butter and it works great…a little stickier, but use handicap to roll it out. I also use oil for my crust with the butter…to make it healthier. Ha ha
Frolickingnightowl says
Find a recipe that uses unsalted butter. I don’t think you can do a straight exchange. And if you are using butter, it and all you other ingredients must be as cold as possible… Not room temp! I’d try a butter crust review from Martha Stewart or Dorie Greenspan.
Harriet says
I’ve never liked the chemical taste of butter flavored Crisco, but I like to use the non-flavored with my traditional recipe that Mama and I have used for 50+ years. (2 2/3 C flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 c shortening, 7-8 tbsp cold water with vanilla mixed in) Except that maybe a decade ago the dough started failing. The texture was off. I threw away more unruly dough that wouldn’t form a proper crust or if I managed to get it into the pan and baked, it wasn’t tender and flakey, but tough and brittle. Then I found the secret on the internet and it works like a charm. Substitute half the required water for unflavored vodka! The vodka gives it enough moisture to be worked with easily, then evaporates during baking to give the crust the most delicate tenderness imaginable! Making myself hungry now. 😉
Diane (diney) says
Hi. I live in Layton, Utah and attended one of her pie classes too. The woman”s name is Valerie Hammer from the Pie Pantry in Kaysville. HTH!
Penny says
It could have been Valerie. If so, thank’s to Valerie Hammer! Does she and her family own Cherry Hill Campground? I vaguely remember the woman who taught me was the Cherry Hill pie lady.
Vicki Hale says
Thank you Penny! I actually feel like I can make a pie crust! Vicki.
AmberLee says
okay. those are the flakiest most golden looking pies I have ever seen. I am so terrified of pie crusts, probably my biggest kitchen fear. I am totally feeling inspired to give them another try. Thank you, Penny!!
Leslie says
I have always used ice cold water when making pie crust and I noticed that your recipe did not specify cold water. What temp do you use?
Penny says
I’ve tried both ways, and it doesn’t make a bit of difference with this recipe. I just use regular tap water.
laurie says
That is pretty much the recipe I use for my pies. This year I am not baking much because my kids are home from Africa and I want to spend time with them. But in other years this recipe has served me well making up to 65 pies to sell. I shape the crust (single crust pies only) right into the pan and freeze them well ahead of time, Then I fill and bake in the two days before Thanksgiving.
This year I will feel like I am on vacation since I only have to do about 20 pies for friends and family 🙂
Penny says
I like your idea of freezing the single crusts right in the pie pan. I’ll give it a try!
Renae says
Just made this crust – so amazing! Thanks for sharing!!!!!
Bree says
I already have some non-butter flavored Crisco on hand – will that work too? Or is the taste just much better with the butter-flavored?
Penny says
I just like the butter flavor Crisco because it tastes better. I do think the Crisco brand shortening is the best product though. I’m sure that any shortening will produce good results.
Erika Carroll says
I didn’t have butter flavored crisco, just the regular kind, so I used a few tablespoons less and added a few tablespoons of butter to make my own flavored crisco! It worked great! I have never made a pie crust so I’m not sure what to compare it to but I thought it was delicious…even with my little alteration ;]
Kristin says
Thank you so much!!!!!! I have always been terrified of pie crusts as mine have always turned out awful. I just made 2 crusts and am AMAZED!!! I see many pies in our future!!! I AM THANKFUL FOR PENNY!
Dasha says
I used this recipe for the first time this thanksgiving and I LOVE IT!!!! Being new to the whole making pie scene, this was my second attempt and it went MUCH better than the first…it was so easy and tasted amazing!!!! It’s made me excited to make more pie and I no longer have the pit in my stomach when the hubby asks for pie:) Thank you!!!
Damita says
Can I make the pie crust the night before I need it? Or do you think it will dry out.
jan says
I made with half butter and regular crisco and they turned out really well. thx!
Heidi says
I made the recipe for a double crust. Have never tried butter flavored Crisco so I was eager to try it. I let the ball of dough get good and cold in the fridge for 24 hours. I cut the ball in half to roll out one crust and when it was rolled out I could see there would not be enough overhang to fold under the edges. The crust was so thin. When I put it in the pan the crust just fell apart. I think it was just too tender and fragile. I think there is too much of the Crisco in the recipe for 2 crusts. I had to start over using my tried and true pie crust recipe which is 2 cups of flour, 2/3 cup regular crisco, 1 tsp salt, 2 Tbl. melted butter, 5 Tbl cold water and 1 Tbl. white vinegar.
Kris says
Just wanted to say that I used this recipe for all of my pies this Christmas, and it was the best pie crust recipe I have used to date. Will definitely be my go to crust from now on!
Shelley says
Yay!!! I’m so glad you loved it. It’s my go to recipe as well. So so so easy and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Phyllis says
I have a very similar recipe that I have used for years. Mix the flour, shortening and salt togeather, store in freezer. When you want to make a pie, remove the mix from freezer. For a single crust mix 1-½ cups of mixture with about 4 tablespoons of water.
Margaret says
I don’t know what I did wrong but this turned out to be the worst crust I have ever made. I make chicken pot pies once a week, since my family loves them. I am always trying to improve my crust and since I could not locate my usual recipe I give this a shot. I used my last six cups of flour and since I didn’t have butter flavored Crisco, only reg, I used 2 cups Crisco and one cup butter. Even before I added any water it was already too moist. It was way too hard to work with and adding flour only made it too tough.
Trudy says
I had the same problem, I used 2 cups all purpose , 1 cup butter Crisco and and the salt, it was already very moist so I needed very little water for it all to be combined. It fell apart while rolling and trying to put it in the pie plates was a mess. What Happened? I will go back to my usual pie crust next time.
Kathy says
Same thing happened to me as Trudy….. I had no idea what was wrong. It was too moist and wouldnt stay together!
Kristen says
So what did I do wrong. I followed the recipe for just one pie. 2 cups flour, 1 cup BF crisco, 1 tsp salt and the water. The fat content was too high and the crust just melted in the oven… I’m in CT, where there it is relatively humid… Could that be the difference? I used regular AP flour…
IsaBella Davis says
This recipe is amazing!!! I have been terribly unsuccessful in the past as well as very frustrated…looked up a recipe using butter flavor Crisco since that was all I had in house and refused to go to the store to buy the ready made rolls that never seem to rise…my husband said it reminded him of butter sugar cookies minus the sugar… very flaky… thank you for sharing…used it for our chicken pot pies….DELISH!!!
Kathie Connor says
I cannot wait to try your recipe after I buy some butter flavored Crisco this week but I especially wanted to write first to thank you for the step-by-step pictures! I was so impressed! I especially liked the picture of cutting around by measuring up to your first knuckle–I had never heard that before and am definitely going to use that advice!! Thank you again!!!
Jen says
I didn’t read thoroughly and cut the first recipe in half. It seems very wet/sticky and I didnt add water. I almost added more flour, but decided to refrigerate and see what happens. Oops!
mehndi says
Great recipe. ı love it.Keep doing 🙂
Emily Hansen says
Hello Penny!
I seriously love this post. Just right in time for the pumpkin pie season. By the way, I just want to ask one question. If I would be following the bigger version of the pie crust recipe but decides to store some in the freezer for future use, how long will the dough last before it gets spoiled?
Diane says
This recipe is very similar to my mother’s and I use butter flavored Crisco. However if I used the amount of water here with 2 cups of flour, I would have a bowl of sticky goo. Just 4 to 5 tablespoons is enough. However I may try this anyway just to see.
Sherry Holmes says
I was looking for a pie crust like my Mom always made! This was dead on! Exactly like she did it. The only difference is when she baked her single crust she put another pie plate on top of her crust at the beginning of baking to keep the dough in place. Do you do that?
Tracie says
Hi,
Could I make the dough on Monday, divide into 6 pieces and wrap and refrigerate until Wednesday? If that will work it will make prep so much easier for me.
Ellen McKenzie says
Thank you for confirming what I believe, that butter flavored crisco is the best fat for pie crust. I’ve tried so many butter crusts and never had good luck with them. I’ve been making a similar version since I was about 13 and I’m 67! The only difference in your recipe and mine is in the recipe for the moisture: I add 2 TBS of white vinegar, 1/4 cup cold water, and 1 large egg, mixed together. I chill the crust for at least 1/2 hour before making the pie. The vinegar reduces gluten development which helps the crust to be flakey. This pie crust can be rolled out more than once if you are dissatisfied with the appearance. It’s easy to manage! Perhaps there is something wrong with my technique in using butter; I just haven’t been able to figure it out. I can also freeze this dough and when I take it out and use it, it’s just as good.
Barb Rufoff says
I tried this recipe before and I didn’t add enough water, and I couldn’t figure out why the crust was just crumbling into a mess. I tried again today and it was perfect. Made an apple pie and froze 4 pie crust for another day.
Ian Bryant says
Hi Penny,
I have your recipe but it is just not working for me. I have just made a second attempt with four cups of flour and two cups of Butter Crisco but the dough just breaks when I roll it out and move it. I am constantly repairing and patching. I really could take small lumps and just press it into the dish and achieve the same result. What am I doing wrong?!!
Marcy says
I love using this recipe! I have a question about baking a pie shell to be filled later. When I have attempted to do this my pie crust shrinks down the sides of my pan (only baking it for 8-10 min at 400 degrees). Any pointers would be appreciated.
Diane says
Hi Penny, I live in Utah and have that same recipe. Yes it is fantastic! It is from the Cherry Hill camping resort in Kaysville. They used to have a pie shop there and this was her recipe. I will look up her name for you so you can credit her with it. Thanks for your tutorial.
Diane says
Her name is Valerie Hammer from the Pie Pantry in Fruit Heights.
Joyce Suggs says
Perfect…I will be making this recipe again!!!