Pie Crust From Scratch
This pie crust from scratch is made with just four simple ingredients for a tender, flaky homemade crust. The recipe makes enough dough for a double-crust pie and works beautifully for both sweet and savory fillings.
Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup lard
- 10-12 tablespoons icy cold water
Instructions
- Whisk the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- Cut the cold lard into the flour with a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips until crumbly, leaving small pieces of lard throughout. Alternatively, pulse the ingredients briefly in a food processor.
- Add the icy cold water a little at a time, mixing until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough.
- Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk into a round large enough to fit your pie plate. Transfer the dough to the pie plate and gently fit it into the bottom and sides without stretching.
- Fill and finish the crust as directed by the pie recipe you are making. For a double-crust pie, roll out the second disk for the top crust, seal and crimp the edges, and cut vents before baking.
Notes
- Keep the ingredients and dough cold throughout the process. If the lard begins to soften while working with the dough, refrigerate it briefly before continuing.
- Baking time and temperature will depend on the pie you are making. Follow the directions for your chosen filling, including any instructions for partially or fully blind baking the crust.
- For blind baking, line the chilled crust and fill it with pie weights to help prevent the bottom from puffing and the sides from slumping.
- The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen for later use.
