The Best Homemade Pie Crust Recipe Ever
Published April 7, 2020. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This is hands down the best homemade pie crust ever, and I’ll show you the secret to making it the flakiest, most tender pie dough out there.
We are huge pie fans in our house, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a key lime or a sweet potato pie. There’s always one lurking in the kitchen.
Homemade Pie Crust
Often a recipe calls for you to use a pre-made pie crust. If you ask me, in no way does that mean you buy the pre-made circle cut-out version from the refrigerated food aisle at the grocery store? Making it at home is incredibly easy and only takes minutes to prepare.
The best part of any pie is the crust, of course, and when you make it homemade, it enhances the flavor of everything else. If this is your first time making it, follow along with how easy it is.
What Makes It the Best
The absolute secret to making the flakiest most tender crust of all time is rendered bacon fat. I always tell you that whenever you cook bacon, you must keep the rendered fat. Back in the day, this was used for everything. In batters, to fry in, to coat with, it is gold, and you should treat it as such.
In addition, you want to ensure the butter and/or bacon fat you are using is ice cold. If it is room temperature, your dough will not hold together and fall while in the oven. Also, some folks chill the water and even the flour before making it.
How to Make a Pie Crust from Scratch
Add the flour, salt, cold butter, and cold rendered bacon fat to a food processor and pulse on high speed until the fat is about the size of rice.
Slowly pour in ice-cold water while continuing to pulse at high speed until it forms a meal.
I know it’s finished by pinching it and it sticking together on its own.
Roll the dough out using a rolling pin on a clean surface dusted with flour until it is about 1/8″ to 1/4″ inches thick. Do not overwork the dough.
Wrap the dough around the rolling pin to make it easy to carry and transfer to your pie pan.
Fit the dough into your pie pan.
Trim off any excess around the outside of the pan.
Fold in the outside extra pie dough to make the outer crust.
How to Make It Without a Food Processor
If you don’t have a food processor, don’t worry. You can cut the fat with the flour in a bowl or on a clean surface using the bottom side of a fork or, better yet, a hand pastry dough blender. It will take a little longer and be more labor-intensive, but it can absolutely be done. In fact, this is how they used to make pie doughs just 25-30 years ago.
Make-Ahead and Storage
How to Store: This holds very well covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
How to Freeze: Keep covered and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw for 1 day in the refrigerator before using it.
Make-Ahead: You can make this pie dough up to 2-3 months ahead of time and place it in the freezer. If you want to use it relatively soon, you can make it and form it into your pie pan without filling it up to 2 days ahead. Be sure to keep it covered and in the refrigerator.
chef notes + tips
- If you want to make a pie crust to add to the top of your pie, simply double the recipe.
- It is critical to use very cold water, butter, and rendered bacon fat when making this. If you do not, you will have to let the dough chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before using it.
- You can use all rendered bacon fat instead of cutting the total amount in half with the butter.
- The dough may need more water when making it, so set aside 1/3 cup of cold water just in case.
- There will be a little leftover dough from your trimming around the outside when forming it into the pan. You can use it in a crostata.
Recipes to Use It In
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The Best Homemade Pie Crust Recipe Ever
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cold unsalted butter cut into chunks
- ¼ cup cold rendered bacon fat
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons ice-cold water
Instructions
- Add the flour, butter, bacon fat, and sea salt to a food processor and pulse on high until the butter and bacon fat is about the size of rice, which takes about 20-25 pulses.
- Slowly drizzle in the water while pulsing until the dough forms a meal.
- Remove the dough and place it on a clean surface dusted with flour.
- Dust the top of the dough with flour and roll it out using a rolling pin until it’s about 1/8” to ¼” thick.
- Transfer the dough to a pie pan and form it in the pan.
- Leaving about a 1” lip around the outside of the pie pan, remove any excess dough.
- Fold the outside dough in and form it to make the top of the pie crust.
- Use the pie crust or store it for a later date.
Notes
How to Freeze: Keep covered and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw for 1 day in the refrigerator before using it. Make-Ahead: You can make this pie dough up to 2-3 months ahead of time and place it in the freezer. If you want to use it relatively soon, you can make it and form it into your pie pan without filling it up to 2 days ahead. Be sure to keep it covered and in the refrigerator. If you want to make a pie crust to add to the top of your pie, simply double the recipe. It is critical to use very cold water, butter, and rendered bacon fat when making this. If you do not, you will have to let the dough chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before using it. You can absolutely use all rendered bacon fat instead of cutting the total amount in half with the butter. The dough may need more water when making it, so set aside 1/3 cup of cold water just in case. There will be a little leftover dough from your trimming around the outside when forming it into the pan. You can use it in a crostata.
Billy, can you taste the bacon in the crust when using the rendered bacon fat?
by itself, a little. With pie filling, no.
I’ve made pie pastry for 57 years using a similar recipe. Instead of butter and rendered bacon fat …I’ve used lard which is rendered pork fat. I’ve used the same 4 ingredients…flour, salt, lard and ice water. I agree do not overwork the pastry and chill your ingredients. I will use my bacon fat next time. The flavour will be a nice addition.
I am beyond excited to have found this recipe! I’m in the practice of saving bacon fat, but only recently wondered if it could be repurposed into a pie crust. Thinking of using this for a savory hand pie type of recipe. Thanks for the valuable insight! Looking forward to reading through more of your recipes 🙂
Did you mean to say lard? I don’t want my pie crust to taste like bacon.
😊🙋🏻😊
no, rendered bacon fat.
How long do you bake it?? Did I miss that part?
That will depend on what pie you use it for.
I am going to try this out today. Will update on how it goes!
This is a silly question but where do I get rendered bacon fat? I love your videos!
from cooked bacon
You have changed my life! I never was a good cook or even a baker but since I have been watching you wow what a difference. Thank you chef Billy for all you do. It was so nice to hear my son after 29 yrs to say wow mom you should open up a restaurant your food is amazing. I love watching you! Thank you.
I love your videos. Your recipes are very flavorful!
Lalielisa
If you don’t have rendered bacon fat, can you substitute with butter or shortening?
If you do use bacon fat, doesn’t your crust taste like bacon? Or is it not that noticeable since it’s only a quarter cup?
P.S. Love your videos !!!
It has a delicious salty flavor to it and it’s amazing. This is how a pie crust used to be made. You can swap out 1 for 1 butter and shortening.