All-Butter Pie Crust Recipe (2024)

Are these crusts better with European or American style butter?

1 cup (228 grams) of American-style butter contains about 1/2 tablespoon more water than an equal amount of European-style butter. It's not clear which style of butter was used in developing the recipe, but it was probably American. Therefore if you use European-style butter you might need a bit more water than the recipe calls for to achieve the same dough consistency. European-style butter, unlike American, is also cultured and so has a different flavor, which you may or may not prefer.

The sugar is there for structure -- browning -- not for sweetness, so yes.

Can not rave about this pie dough recipe enough. After years of making pie dough with many different recipes that turned out very disappointing I discovered this recipe. Every time I've made it the crust has been excellent. I'm not a natural cook. I'm only as good as the recipe I'm using and with this recipe I know the results will be worth the effort. One added step I do is to chill the bowl and all utensils I use to make the dough.

Please don’t start reviews before you have actually tasted the recipe results. "I'll try this and then report back." "I'll let you know how it turns out." These comments from different dates never get connected in print and no one knows how experiments turn out. Please make the recipe, see how it works and how well you and your family liked it, and then write a complete review instead of trying to hand out your observations in installments. It doesn't work and isn't helpful. Thanks.

Would we still use the sugar for a savory pie filling? Many of us no doubt foresee turkey pot pies in their futures.

I love that Genevieve includes 3 methods of prepping the dough. But it's the rolling that makes me anxious! I've decided that even an amateur's crust is going to be better than the supermarket stuff.

I roll each piece of dough between two pieces of waxed paper. Gently pull the top piece off and then invert the second over the pie pan. VIOLA!!

The recipe does not have enough water. I added 4.5 tsp of ice water so I could consolidate the mixture into a dough ball. it still seems pretty dry, so we'll see...

I would use half lard and half butter.

Probably a 9 inch (23 cm) pie crust

I tried this with gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 mix). 1/3 C water was not at all enough. By the time I had added in enough water, I think I may have over-mixed it in the food processor. I’ll report back on how it turns out.

Don't leave the water mixture in the freezer for much time at all or it will freeze.

Any thoughts on gluten free pie crust? My hoping-for-future-daughter-in-law is gf.

Took a lot of pulses to produce large clumps.

I was skeptical about the vinegar when I tasted the dough but the pie as baked is delicious. Great recipe.

For gluten free cooks: this has become my go-to pie crust. I use Cup-4-Cup replacement flour and pulse it in my blender. After time in the refrigerator, it rolls out beautifully. A little less flavor than a crust made with wheat flower, but an entirely acceptable alternative for those who need to avoid gluten.

I didn’t like this recipe. The crust was too dense and hard. I like lard or Crisco(bad, I know but makes such a good crust!)

This recipe works for me just as it is. I use a food processor with the dough blade. It comes together very easily.

I'll try again, but I'm not sold. I followed the recipe precisely. I like the idea of an all-butter crust, and I liked the flakiness of this one, but I found it harder to handle -- more crumbly, more difficult to clump into ball with the amount of liquid specified, more likely to fall apart during rolling -- than the Julia Child pate brisee that I usually use. Used this for a pecan pie, so I prebaked it a bit (about 10 minutes). Base was nice and crisp, but itoo thin and dark overall.

Used recipe on the Tapioca package and Joy of Cooking. Add two more cups of apples and increase other ingredients accordingly.

Also, *freeze* completed pie for half an hour or more. Chilling for 1 hour didn’t prevent melting of crust.

For some reason, the fluting that I did melted away. The pie crusts were chilled before putting them in the oven. One was blind baked, the other wasn't. The crust is great otherwise, but I was sorry to lose the fancy edge.

This recipe is the bomb! I always struggled with my crusts until I saw this last year. No turning back. It's positively perfect. My added hint, if you don't mind a little extra mess and you have both a food processor and a stand mixer, start with the food processor for the butter and flour, and then move all to the stand mixer for the rest. Really simplifies the blending.

I agrée, 1/3 cup water is not nearly enough for 2 1/2 cups flower. I added at least another 1/3 cup.

It’s not usually a good idea to use your fingers in the flour, as hands warm the butter too much. Pastry cutters are good, but two sharp knives slicing parallel to each other will also work.

Just made it and works great except 2 1/2 c flour leave nothing left over. Barley had enough for the pie crust to fit the dish. I'm going to try it with 3 c flour and a more water and see.

I don’t see bakers talking about the pie PAN….which is critical. I ditched my glass and ceramic for a darker metal pan, and you get a nicer crust. Also, a kitchen scale is under $20 and well worth it! Many people who are having trouble with water to flour ratio would probably be surprised at how different the more accurate gram measurement is vs. measuring cups!And I have better luck with European butter as well.

For a smidge more protein I used about 1/3 almond flour and the rest all purpose flour. Turned out fine.

The only pie crust I don’t hate making - I don’t even swear while trying to get it together! I’ve experimented with finer flours than called for and it works no matter what, so long as I use the weight and not the volume.