The Perfect Flaky Pie Crust

A perfect flaky pie crust recipe for all your favourite pies!  Tender, flaky and delicious.

It’s pie season.  There is such a thing…I think I’ve said this sometime before, but it’s true. Summer and into fall is the time to bake pies because all of the markets are overflowing with seasonal fruits just waiting to be baked into apple pies, peach pies, blueberry pies, pumpkin pies…you name it, you bake it.  I actually think pies are my favourite desserts of all time…especially a good old fashioned apple pie with cheddar cheese and creamy vanilla ice cream…seriously does life get any better?

How to make the Perfect Flaky Pie Crust:

Over the years on this blog I have shared many of my pie recipes and all of them have included my tried-and-true pie crust recipe, but I love this pie crust so much I thought it was time to finally dedicate a specific blog post just for it.  A perfect flaky pie crust deserves it’s very own post don’t you think?

Don’t be afraid of making pie crust!

Pie crusts are really very simple to make…they’re just messy, but easy, and take no time at all.  The keys to a perfectly flaky baked crust is to #1 not over mix the ingredients, #2 the dough should be crumbly like wet sand (like in the image above), and #3 you should bake your pie for 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree preheated oven (see tips below).

My Pie Crust Tips & Tricks:

• Don’t over mix/knead your pie crust dough or your pie crust will be tough. In fact the more crumbly it is the more flaky your baked crust will be.
• The key to a perfectly flaky baked crust is to bake your pie for 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree preheated oven.  Then after this time slip a cookie sheet onto the rack below your pie, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, and bake for 25-35 minutes more. Bake until the crust is golden brown and your filling is bubbling in the vents.  The initial high temperature ensures that the bottom of your pie crust isn’t soggy.

So let’s get baking shall we…are you ready for a perfect flaky pie crust?

The Perfect Flaky Pie Crust

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A perfect flaky pie crust recipe for all your favourite pies!  Tender, flaky and delicious.

• Author: Jo-Anna Rooney
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 1 top crust and 1 bottom crust 1x
• Category: Pie

Ingredients

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• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup shortening (lard)
• 1/4 cup water

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Instructions

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
2. With a pie cutter, cut in the shortening until the particles are like wet sand.
3. Sprinkle in water, 1 tsp or so at a time, mixing lightly with a fork. Don’t over mix or the crust will be tough. If your dough seems wet enough, you don’t need to add all of the water.
4. Press the dough into a ball. It is okay if it is a little crumbly. In fact crumbly makes for a tender, flaky crust!
5. Separate the ball into 2 balls: one for the bottom crust and one for the top.

Notes

The key to a perfectly flaky baked crust is to bake your pie for 20 minutes in a 400 degree preheated oven. Then after this time slip a cookie sheet onto the rack below your pie, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, and bake for 25-35 minutes more. Bake until the crust is golden brown and your filling is bubbling in the vents. The initial high temperature ensures that the bottom of your pie crust isn’t soggy.

Keywords: pie crust

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Now to go with this perfectly flaky pie crust you need some pie recipes right?  Well I’ve got you covered.  Over the past few years I have accumulated quite a little collection of pie recipes on this blog, so I have pulled the links for all of them here into one post!  Enjoy!

 12+ Delicious Pie Recipes to Try!

Have a delicious day!

Note: This post was originally published in 2014. I have since updated it with new images and more tips. I also reduced the oven temperature from 425 to 400.