All-Purpose Pie Crust

One crust for all things pie-related. The end.

MAKES TWO 9-INCH PIE CRUSTS • TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup (2 sticks) ice-cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

DIRECTIONS:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and butter and pulse until the pieces of butter are the size of peas and the mixture is crumbly; do not overmix.
• Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the dough comes together in large clumps and resembles coarse, wet sand. Divide the dough in half, form into round discs, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough into an even 12-inch round and lay it over a 9-inch pie plate, leaving about 1 inch overhanging the edge. Fold the overhanging dough under to form a rim and crimp with your fingertips. Fill as desired.
• If your pie will have a top crust, roll out the second disc of dough. (If you’re not using the second disc of dough, see the Simply Scratch Tip here for storing instructions.) Set the dough over the filling, fold the edge under the edge of the bottom crust, and crimp. Cut a few vents in the center of the dough to let the steam escape.

VARIATION: HERBED PIE CRUST: For savory dishes, follow instructions for making basic pie crust. Once the ingredients are combined, turn the dough crumbles out onto a clean surface, sprinkle with fresh herbs (2 tablespoons each minced parsley and snipped chives, and 2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves) and quickly fold them into the crumbles. Divide the dough in half and place onto two separate pieces of plastic wrap. Gather the sides of the plastic wrap and shape into discs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling out.

SIMPLY SCRATCH TIP

Pie dough keeps very well in the freezer! Divide the dough in half, form into discs, and wrap each tightly in both plastic wrap and then heavy-duty aluminum foil before freezing. You’ll need to thaw them before rolling, which could take an hour or two. Alternatively, roll out one disc of dough and fit it into your desired pie plate. Crimp the edges and carefully wrap the dough-lined pie plate in heavy-duty aluminum foil, then freeze. The second option allows you to have a ready-to-use pie crust that can go directly from freezer to oven. Just increase the baking time by a few minutes!