The BEST Easy Pie Crust

Step 1

Make the crust first by combining flour, sugar, and salt in the canister of a food processor. Pulse to combine.

Step 2

Sprinkle butter pieces over the mixture and pulse again until coarse crumbs form.

Step 3

Add sour cream and pulse again until mixture begins to clump together.

Step 4

Carefully (remove the blade first!) remove the dough from the food processor and use your hands to shape it into a ball. Flatten slightly into a disc and wrap in cling wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Step 5

Remove chilled pie dough from refrigerator and transfer to a clean, lightly floured surface.  Allow dough to sit for about 5 minutes and then roll dough out into a 12" circle and place in a 9" or 10" glass pie dish.

Step 6

Gently lay the pie crust into a 10" pie pan, folding under the excess dough beneath itself and crimping with a fork.

Step 7

If pie crust is to be used with a baked filling, follow that recipe's instructions for filling and baking.

Step 8

If baking pie crust alone (or "blind baking"), transfer your prepared pie dish to the freezer and preheat your oven to 350F.

Step 9

Once oven is preheated, retrieve your pie dough and gently line it with aluminum foil or parchment paper*, being sure that the aluminum is molded to the sides of the pie crust, especially (you want to make sure they don't collapse or sag while baking)  -- make sure the edges are covered so that they do not over-brown/burn.

Step 10

Fill the aluminum with sugar** and place pie pan on an aluminum cookie sheet.

Step 11

Transfer to oven and bake on 350F for 45-55 minutes.

Step 12

Allow to cool completely before lifting out the aluminum foil and sugar**( and finishing with desired filling.