Recipe - Perfect Flaky Pie Crust

When my friends and I decide to have a dinner, we get serious. Awesome foods are tried out and made. This time around, we had a "Double Pi Day" for June 28th and so, I tried my hand at making pies. Because of my self-challenge to make stuff from scratch, I ended up making pie crust. Sleuthing online gave me some insight into putting this post and dish together. Below is the recipe for the tasty and amazing crust that got eaten so quickly, it was ridiculous!

Step 1: Ingredients (yields two 9-inch pie crusts)

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, ice cold
• 8 tbsps water, ice cold
• 1 egg, beaten (optional - may use cream instead)

Step 2: Prepping the ingredients
To make the butter easier to deal with, slice it into manageable sized chunks first but be careful to maintain its temperature. This is very important in ensuring the crust is flaky as the cold butter will create pockets as it melts during baking. Combine flour, salt, and butter until crumbly. Then add in water one tablespoon at a time until it resembles wet sand. Halve full amount and wrap in plastic wrap to chill at least 30 minutes in the fridge.


Step 3: Forming the crust
A rolling pin will be your friend here. Roll out evenly with one on a floured surface, making sure not to handle the dough directly very much with your bare hands. The body temperature may cause the butter lumps to melt and not make your crust flaky. Roll out into rounds. Press one of the crusts tightly into bottom of pie plate/bakeware and along the sides. I also baked mine during the preheating period of the oven just so it crisped up a little bit.


Step 4: Finishing
Connect the top and bottom crust layers after you've filled it with your filling of choice. Pictured above is when I used mine for chicken pot pie. Crimp the edges or, if you're short on time like me, use the tines of a fork to design the edge. Beat egg in a small bowl with a little water OR pour in diluted heavy cream. Brush with mixture to make the crust golden brown after baking, and bake your pie accordingly!


Photography by Minerva Thai and Duc Duong.