Cook, Clean, Organize. Repeat.: COOK: Perfect Flaky Pie Crust

Pie crust is an art. I tried so many different recipes, some used a teaspoon of vodka, my Grandma Burk's "fool proof" recipe used cream of tartar...all of them were either impossible to roll out or tasted horrible. I had resigned myself to using store bought (and there is nothing wrong with that!).

I decided to try one last time, only because my pie fillings are always from scratch and darnit, I wanted to tell people that it was all homemade! (Aside from milling the flour, churning the butter, growing the apples, etc...)

Dustin was almost a year when I finally perfected my recipe and he helps me make pie dough every year, it's our thing and I love it!

Perfect Flaky Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cups Flour (plus more for dusting work space when rolling dough)

1/2 Cup Cold Unsalted Butter (cut into small pieces)

1 Tablespoon Sugar (Omit if using dough for savory pie)

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

3-4 Tablespoons ICE COLD water

Preparation:

Note: I use my Cuisinart Food Processor with the regular cutting blade (do not use the dough blade!), but if you don't have a food processor you can use a dough cutter in the beginning and then kneed/mix by hand, or in a pinch use two butter knives to cut in the butter.

In the food processor pulse the flour, cold butter, sugar (if using), and salt until it forms coarse crumbles. (Sorry, we forgot to take a picture at this point!)

Slowly add water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, while still pulsing, once the dough comes together in a large ball it's done.

Remove dough from bowl and wrap loosely in plastic warp, put in the fridge for 30 minutes, up to 48 hours. (If it's in longer than 30 minutes take it out before you plan to roll it out so it gets a little warm, but not room temperature.)

Set dough ball onto a well floured surface, press down so it's a very fat disc shape and then push your knuckles into the sides.

Now, start rolling it with your well floured rolling pin, roll about three times in one direction, then move and roll out in another. You want the dough to be about 1/4 inch thick in the end.

Once it's large enough to fit your pie plate, with at least 1 inch overhang on the edges roll onto your floured rolling pin (or wine bottle if you don't have a rolling pin!) and transfer to your pie dish.

After pushing, gently, into pie pan cut off any excess that is more than about an inch overhang.

Fold excess under to make a thicker crust on the outer edge. (Does that make sense?!?!)

If you are making a no bake or custard pie you'll want to "make the edge pretty" at this point. If a no bake pie you you need to pre-bake the crust line the inside of the crust with foil and fill with cheap dry beans or rice, and then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

If you are adding a top crust do that before finishing the edges.