This flaky, tender, simple pie crust relies on butter for both its flakiness and wonderful flavor. Pair it with apple pie, mixed berry pie, or really any of your favorite pie fillings. (There's not much that butter doesn't make better!) This all-butter pie dough is a back-pocket recipe you'll want to pull out again and again.
Whisk together the flour, salt, and buttermilk powder.
Dice the butter into small cubes, or cut it into pats. Work it into the flour until it's well-distributed, but not fully incorporated. Larger, pea-sized pieces of butter will be scattered throughout the mixture.
Tossing with a fork or your fingers, drizzle in the ice water. Stop adding water when the dough starts to come together, and grab it in your hands. If it holds together easily, without crumbling, it's ready. If it has dry spots or pieces break off easily, add a bit more water until it's totally cohesive.
Gather the dough into a ball, and divide it in half. Gently pat/shape each half into a rough disk. Roll immediately, if desired. For better texture, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling. If dough has been refrigerated longer than 30 minutes, allow it to warm at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, until it rolls easily.
Use as directed in your favorite pie recipe.
Let King Arthur's pastry pros show you how to bake your best pie ever: from flaky crust to perfect filling, we can help! Check out our Pie Baking Guide now.
Bake it better! Watch King Arthur baker/blogger Kye Ameden demonstrate two of the techniques from this recipe: How to Make Pie Crust and How to Crimp Pie Crust.
You may want to bake the crust prior to filling; this is typically done when the filling itself doesn't need to be baked (e.g., lemon meringue, chocolate cream). For details, see our blog post, Prebaking pie crust.
Never mind the pastry blender; did you know your stand mixer does a great job with pie crust? See the details in our blog post, How to make pie crust in your stand mixer.
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