The Easiest, Flakiest Pie Dough Ever

When people think of pie dough, they think of some hard-to-make pastry that is finicky and should just be bought pre-made from a store. However, pie dough was one of the very first recipes I learned to make. If you know my Mom, Grandma’s, or Aunts then you know these ladies in my family make the best homemade pies with the absolute best crust. And when making pies, there’s a little secret you should know….it’s the crust that makes a pie! 

This dough is easy to make. It can be doubled, tripled, halved, made in batches, and frozen! It’s also easy to remember – flour, shortening, and water are the only ingredients! This particular recipe makes 2 pie doughs. If you only need one, freeze the other half for your next recipe! If frozen, just thaw the dough in the fridge overnight. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup shortening 
• 1/2 cup ice water
• Dash of salt (optional) 

Directions:

1. Stir the flour in a bowl with a fork to fluff it up (you can use a sifter as well)
2. Cut in the shortening using a pastry dough blender until thoroughly
3. Make sure your water is ice cold, I usually start with a few ice cubes in a cup of water and then measure out 1/2 cup right before adding to recipe. 
4. As you slowly add in the ice water, quickly blend it in to the flour/shortening mixture. You have to do this step rather quickly.
5. You don’t want to over mix or mess with the dough too much. That will make it tough. Once all the ingredients are mixed together, divide the dough into two, shape into balls and place back into the same bowl. 
6. If using immediately, place in the fridge for a few minutes to stay cool before using. Cool dough is easier to roll and handle than warm dough.
7. If freezing, place pie dough balls into individual freezer bags. Make sure to get rid of as much excess air in the bags as possible before freezing. Label with sharpie and freeze.

That’s it, pie dough is actually really easy to make! Don’t let it intimidate you! 

Stay tuned for some of my favorite recipes to use this pie dough in!

LOVE,

Jen