This simple pie crust relies on butter for both its flakiness, and wonderful flavor. This recipe is the one taught by King Arthur's instructors in our nationwide traveling baking demos.
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.
