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    Home » Recipes » Pies & Tarts

    Published: Nov 8, 2023 by Sloane · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    3 Ingredient All Butter Pie Crust

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    5 from 2 votes

    This 3 ingredient all butter pie crust is made with just a few pantry staples and requires no specialty equipment. It's tender, flaky texture and buttery flavor make it the perfect vessel for just about any pie filling!

    3 ingredient pie crust in metal pie pan.

    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.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Step by Step Instructions
    • Expert Baking Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Baking in Grams
    • More pie and tart recipes you'll love
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Ingredient Notes

    ingredients for 3 Ingredient All Butter Pie Crust.
    • 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.

    flour and butter in mixing bowl.
    STEP 1
    butter squished between fingers.
    STEP 2

    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.  

    vodka being poured into mixing bowl.
    STEP 3
    pie crust dough fully hydrated in bowl.
    STEP 4

    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.

    pie dough shaped into disk.
    STEP 5
    pie dough in metal pan being crimped.
    STEP 6

    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 â…› 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.

    docked and crimped pie dough in metal pan.
    STEP 7
    pie weights in pie dough.
    STEP 8

    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!

    Recipe FAQs

    How to make pie crust flaky:

    Cut cold cubed butter into the flour until quarter sized pieces are left. Roll the chilled pie dough out into a rough rectangle, then fold it into quarters. Chill for a few minutes, then repeat. This series of rolling and folding creates layers and layers of butter and dough. When the pie dough is baked, the butter creates steam and pushes the layers of dough upwards, creating an ultra flaky, buttery crust!

    How to prevent a soggy pie crust:

    My three tricks to preventing a soggy pie crust:
    1. Bake at a high temperature - 425 degrees F (220 degrees C)
    2. Preheat the oven with a metal baking sheet in it
    3. Use a metal pie pan and bake the pie directly on the hot baking sheet

    How to par bake pie crust:

    Par baking is partially baking a pie crust for a pie with a filling that needs to be baked, like custard and fruit pies. By par baking, you can ensure that the crust bakes all the way through without a soggy a bottom!

    How to blind bake pie crust:

    Blind baking is fully baking a pie crust for a pie with no-bake filling, like a cold set chocolate or curd pie.

    Pie weight substitutes:

    If you do not have pie weights, you can use dry beans or dry rice.

    Can I use a food processor to make the pie dough?

    Technically you can, however I do not recommend it. Making pie dough by hand enables you to control the size of the butter pieces and the hydration of the dough.

    Can I scale this recipe to make a double crust pie?

    Yes! Scale this recipe by 2.5x for a bottom crust and lattice top crust.

    Storage Tips:

    You can store the pie dough wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    docked and crimped pie dough in metal pan.

    Baking in Grams

    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

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    If you tried this recipe, I'd love to know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating & review below and post a picture (or video!) on Instagram and tag me so I can see your bakes! Not ready to make this recipe yet? Click the heart button on the right of your screen to save it for later 🙂

    📖 Recipe

    3 ingredient pie crust in metal pie pan.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save for LaterSaved!

    3 Ingredient All Butter Pie Crust

    This 3 ingredient all butter pie crust is made with just a few pantry staples and requires no specialty equipment. It's tender, flaky texture and buttery flavor make it the perfect vessel for just about any pie filling!
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Chill Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Servings1 bottom pie crust
    Coursepie
    CuisineAmerican
    AuthorSloane
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Kitchen Scale
    • Rolling Pin
    • 9" Pie Pan

    Ingredients

    • 200 g (1 â…” cups) all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 140 g (10 tablespoon) unsalted butter, cold, cubed
    • 25 g (2 tablespoon) vodka, optional
    • 1 cup ice water
    • egg wash, 1 egg + 2 tablespoon heavy cream

    Instructions

    For the pie dough:

    • In a medium bowl combine the flour and salt.
    • Cut the cold butter into cubes and toss in the flour. Using your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until quarter sized pieces are left.  
    • Add the vodka (optional) and a small amount of water, then toss with your hands to combine. 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 for one hour.
    • On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a rough rectangle, fold 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. 
    • The next day, roll out the pie dough into a rough circle about ⅛″ in thickness.
    • Carefully place the dough into the pie pan, pressing it 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. 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. 

    For Par-baking:

    • 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. 
    • Place the pie pan on the hot baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes. 
    • Take the pan out, take all of the pie weights out, then brush the pie crust with an egg wash all over, except for the crimp. 
    • Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until barely golden. Allow the pie crust to cool completely before adding the pie filling.

    For Blind baking:

    • 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. 
    • Place the pie pan on the hot baking sheet and bake for 16 minutes. 
    • Take the pan out, take all of the pie weights out, then brush the pie crust with an egg wash all over, except for the crimp. 
    • Bake for an additional 14 minutes or until evenly golden and fully baked through. Allow pie crust to cool completely before adding the pie filling.

    Notes

    • 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!

    Nutrition Facts

    Serving: 1bottom pie crust | Calories: 1790kcal | Carbohydrates: 153g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 116g | Saturated Fat: 72g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 30g | Trans Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 301mg | Sodium: 1194mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3499IU | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 9mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @sloanes.table on Instagram and write a star review below!

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Miranda says

      October 10, 2022 at 3:55 pm

      I had never made pie crust from scratch before, but so glad I found this recipe! It’s shockingly easy to make and turned out perfect with a berry filling

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Sloane! Welcome to Sloane’s Table! I am a Dartmouth College alumna, professional baker, recipe developer, and food photographer. Here, you will find tried & true bakery-worthy recipes ranging from simple sweets to technical pastries.

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