3 Ingredient All Butter Pie Crust

All you need is flour, salt, and butter to create the perfect pie crust for any sweet or savory pies. A touch of water, vodka, and a series of folds results in an ultra flaky, tender crust. Learn how to make this all butter pie crust by hand, how to prevent a soggy bottom, how to par-bake, and how to blind bake all in this post!

For more pie recipes using this pie crust, try Black Bottom Pumpkin Custard Pie, Salted Caramel Apple Pie, Turtle Pecan Pie, Cardamom Cherry Pie, and Almond Peach Galette.

Ingredient Notes

• Flour: Use a high quality, unbleached all-purpose flour.
• Salt: You'll need only ½ teaspoon of kosher salt.
• Butter: Use high quality European-style butter for best overall flavor.
• Water: You'll need ice cold water to hydrate the dough.
• Vodka: Optional, but will hydrate the dough while hindering gluten development. If you're new to making pie crusts by hand, a little bit of vodka will ensure the crust still bakes up ultra flaky!
• Egg Wash: To seal the bottom crust and help it brown evenly, you'll want to brush it with an egg wash (1 egg + 2 tablespoon heavy cream) in between bake times. 

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this easy 3-ingredient pie crust recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl combine the flour and salt. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and toss in the flour.  

STEP 2: Cut in the butter. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until quarter sized pieces are left.  

STEP 3: Add wet ingredients. Add the vodka (optional) and a small amount of water, then toss with your hands to combine. 

STEP 4: Toss the dough. Continue adding very small amounts of water until the dough can hold together, but is not overly wet. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

STEP 5: Roll out & fold. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a rough rectangle. Fold the dough in half, then again into quarters. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for another 30 minutes. Roll the dough out again into a rough rectangle and repeat the folding process. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill overnight. 

STEP 6: Roll out & crimp. Roll out the pie dough into a rough circle about ⅛ inch thick. Carefully place the dough in the pie plate, pressing up against the sides. Cover and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Take the pie crust out, cut off the excess dough, and crimp the edges as desired.

STEP 7: Dock the dough. Dock the bottom and sides of the crust all over with the tines of a fork, then chill for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place a baking sheet on the lowest rack in the oven and preheat it to 425 degrees F. 

STEP 8: Add pie weights & bake. Place a large piece of parchment paper over the pie crust and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or dry rice all the way up to the crimp. Par-bake the crust for a pie with a baked filling, or blind bake the crust for pies with no-bake fillings that won't go back into the oven.

Expert Baking Tips

• Add vodka to the pie dough. If you have vodka on hand, you can add a few tablespoons to the pie dough before the water. You'll end up adding less water, so still pay close attention to the hydration level. Vodka does not develop the gluten as much, which makes it perfect for hydrating pie dough and creating a super tender pie crust!
• Keep the pie dough cold. The most important thing with making pie crust is to always keep the dough cold at all steps. So use ice cold water and cold butter, and any time you touch the dough you should put it back in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
• Dock the pie dough. Docking the pie dough is very important for the dough to be able to bake evenly - don't skip it!
• Bake the pie on a hot baking sheet on the lowest rack in the oven. No one likes a soggy pie bottom! To achieve a beautifully golden, crisp bottom pie crust preheat the oven with a baking sheet on the bottom rack. When it's time to bake the pie, place the pie dish directly on top of the hot baking sheet!

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x