Step 1

Before beginning, fill a large glass with ice cubes, then top with cool water. Working with cold butter and ice water is important in making a flaky pie crust.

Step 2

Take the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. With a spoon or spatula mix well.

Step 3

Add the cold, unsalted butter cut into small cubes or grated on the side of a box grater. Be sure to keep butter in the freezer or refrigerator until you are ready to make your crust.

Step 4

Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into the flour. You can also use a stand mixer or even a food processor to cut the butter into the flour in less time.

Step 5

The mixture should look sandy with pea sized butter dispersed in the flour together with tinier or smaller pieces of butter.

Step 6

Add the cold water in parts and with a spoon begin to mix gently till the flour mixture comes together in a ball. You can even use your hands when adding water and mixing it gently with the dough.

Step 7

Remove the entire mixture on your working surface and combine together.

Step 8

Refrigerate for 15 minutes to 20 minutes before you start to make any pie.

Step 9

This entire pie dough recipe will easily fit a 10 to 11 inches pan. Depending on the size of pan, roll to large rectangle or circle 2 to 3 inches larger than the pan. This allows for some excess that you can use to make a pretty fluted edge.

Step 10

If you are working with a more standard 8 to 9 inch round pie pan, halve the dough. One half should be enough to fit the bottom of the pan, and you will have enough leftover to either cover the pie or make a second.

Step 11

Dust your working surface and rolling pin with some flour. Also lightly dust the pie dough with flour.

Step 12

Begin to roll the dough outwards from the center, sprinkling more flour as needed. Rotate the dough often to ensure that you are rolling it out evenly and that it isn’t sticking to your work surface.

Step 13

Roll to a neat rectangle or circle with even thickness of about 0.5 to 1 mm.

Step 14

Use your rolling pin to gently lift and roll the pie dough on it. Place your rolling pin above your pie pan, then slowly unravel your dough, placing it gently on the pie pan.

Step 15

Trim or cut the edges with a knife and flute the edges using the forefinger and thumb of your non-dominant hand and the thumb of your dominant hand.

Step 16

Follow the pie recipe instructions regarding par-baking the all butter crust before using.

Step 17

Wrap and refrigerate this flaky pie crust for a week or freeze for a couple of months.