This has been my go-to homemade pie crust recipe for over 25 years. I've used it to make hundreds of pies of every variety and it hasn't failed me yet.
This crust is tender, flaky, and flavorful. And, the dough is so easy to work with that it's earned the name "foolproof".
"Thank you so much for this recipe! I have been trying for decades to master the pie crust and this time I did! Tender, flaky, perfect!" - Linda Jo
Why this is my favorite pie crust recipe
From-scratch pie crust has a reputation for being tricky and temperamental. But, the truth is, making a deliciously flaky homemade pie crust is not difficult.
The most common problems people have when making homemade pie crust are:
- The dough is too crumbly
- It breaks when pressing it into the pan
- The crust shrinks in the pan as it bakes
- The crust is tough (not tender and flaky) after baking
This Foolproof pie crust recipe prevents these problems with the addition of two simple ingredients: a touch of vinegar and an egg.
"This really is a fool proof pie crust. I have messed up every other pie crust recipe I've tried - and I've tried them all. I usually end up with dough that too sticky, too dry, or cracks when I roll it... until now!!! You have nailed this recipe - Thank you! I used this for an apple pie and as a crust for a chicken pot pie and they both were absolutely delicious. This is the only recipe I will ever use!" - Valerie
What vinegar does for pie crust
In short, vinegar contributes these three things to pie crust dough:
- It keeps the dough tender
- It prevents the dough from shrinking as it bakes
- It keeps the dough fresh for longer
Vinegar creates a tender pie crust
Just one tablespoon of vinegar in this recipe acts as a safeguard for overworking the dough. In most pie crust recipes, you must take extreme care to not overwork the dough because doing so can result in pie crust that's tough rather than tender.
In this recipe, the vinegar acts as a kind of insurance against overworking the dough so that you get a super tender and flaky crust every single time.
Vinegar helps prevent pie crust from shrinking as it bakes
If you've ever had a pie crust shrink as it bakes, you know how frustrating this problem can be.
You fit the dough into the pie plate, crimping the edge along the top of the dish only to take it out of the oven and see that the edge of the crust has shrunk halfway down the sides of the pan while baking. So frustrating.
Vinegar to the rescue! Shrinkage happens because the gluten in the flour is too tightly wound. As the crust bakes, those tight strands of gluten constrict, pulling the dough in. The acid in vinegar helps keep the gluten in the flour relaxed and thus, safeguards agains shrinkage.
Using shortening instead of butter will also help the dough hold its shape as it bakes. More about that in a bit.
Vinegar keeps pie crust fresh for longer
This dough will keep for days in the refrigerator, thanks to that splash of vinegar. If you allow pie crust dough to sit in the refrigerator for a day or two, it can oxidize and develop a grayish color.
Aside from being slightly off-putting, gray dough will not hurt you. However, the oxidation process will cause the dough to be kind of slack and floppy, making it difficult to work with and unable to hold its shape as well while baking.
Vinegar prevents this oxidation process, keeping the dough fresh for as long as 5 days if it's tightly wrapped and stored in the refrigerator.
What an egg does for pie crust
Using eggs in pastry dough is not a new thing for the French or Italians who have been putting eggs in their dough for centuries. Most American pie crust recipes omit the egg and to be honest, I've no idea why.
Adding an egg to pie dough contributes flavor and richness, causes a slightly better color and browning, and gives the baked crust a more tender mouth feel. In other words... adding an egg makes pie crust taste better.
The other thing that just one egg does for pie crust is make it easier to roll out. The protein in the egg makes the dough more pliable, guarding against breakage and giving it a nice elasticity that makes it so much easier to work with.
This dough is quite elastic and rarely breaks, and when it does, it's super easy to stretch and press as needed to cover the inside of a pie plate or the top of a pie.
Pro tip! Even with the safeguards of vinegar and an egg, it's still important to handle the dough with care. The key to a flaky, tender crust is to not allow gluten to develop in the dough. If you knead pie crust dough like you might with homemade bread dough, you will end up with a tough pie crust regardless of whether or not you added some vinegar.
Is butter or shortening better in pie crust?
This is a very difficult question to answer because there are pros and cons to each.
The pros of using vegetable shortening to make pie crust:
- Shortening doesn't melt as easily as butter, making it easier to incorporate into pie dough and roll out.
- Pie crust dough made with vegetable shortening will hold its shape better during baking, meaning that your beautifully crimped edges will have a greater chance of staying beautiful while the pie bakes.
- Pie crust made with shortening tends to be flakier than those using butter.
The pros of using butter to make pie crust:
- Flavor. The main reason to use butter instead of shortening is because you want the crust to taste buttery. Please note that pie crust made with shortening will still be absolutely delicious - but, it won't taste "buttery" unless you use butter.
- Because butter contains more water than shortening, crusts made with butter tends to be lighter than those made with shortening.
I like to have it all and generally use roughly half butter and half shortening. This recipe calls for 1 ¾ cups of fat. To keep things simple, I usually use 1 cup of vegetable shorting and ¾ cups of cold butter.
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How to roll out and fit pie crust dough into a pie plate
After mixing and chilling the dough, divide it into quarters. Work with one quarter at a time and leave the rest of the dough wrapped so it doesn't dry out. Sprinkle some flour over a clean work surface. Keep about ½ cup of additional flour within arm's reach.
Put one piece of the dough on the floured work surface and sprinkle the top with more flour. Roll the dough out into a 14-inch circle. I like to use a long rolling pin with tapered ends for this process.
Using a large, flat spatula, gently fold the pastry in half and then in half again so that you have a folded triangle of dough.
Place the dough in a pie plate so that the point of the triangle is in the center of the pan.
Gently unfold the pastry to cover the pan and use your fingers to press the dough into the corners of the pan, letting the edges of the dough drape over the sides of the pan.
If you have more than about 1-inch of dough hanging over the edge of the pan, trim it off. Fold the dough that's hanging over the edge of the pan under itself so you have a cylinder that rests on the edge of the pie plate.
With one hand on the inside of the edge, and one hand on the outside, use the index finger of your inside hand to push the dough between the thumb and index finger of your outside hand to form a U or V shape. Continue this crimping motion around the entire edge.
The pastry is now ready to be filled and baked.
Pie Crust FAQs
A: Yes! The dough for this pie crust can be frozen for up to three months. Form the dough into a ball and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer zip-top bag. Let the dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out and baking.
You can also roll the dough out before freezing it. Lay the rolled-out dough on a baking sheet, cover it with plastic wrap, and let freeze for a few hours until solid. Once solid, you can remove the dough from the baking sheet, wrapping it tightly before placing it back in the freezer.
A: Yes! Here are the amounts to use if you want to make a half recipe of this pie crust dough:
2 cups (240 grams) of flour
½ - 1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (161 grams) OR unsalted butter (198 grams)
2 teaspoon vinegar
1 whole egg (yes, still use the whole egg)
3 tablespoons ice water
For a nutty crunch, try toasted almond pie crust
Foolproof pie crust is my go-to recipe. However, when I'm making a cream pie, like this Chocolate Cream Pie or Coconut Cream Pie, I usually use toasted almond pie crust.
The nutty flavor and super crispy texture of Toasted Almond Crust is sublime with the rich creamy texture of a cream pie.
Delicious pies to make with a foolproof pie crust
Foolproof Pie Crust is a Building Block Recipe
Building block recipes are tried-and-true recipes that I consider foundational to great home baking. They are the kind of recipes I come back to over and over again, sometimes baking them as is, but often using them as a jumping off point to create something new. > Scroll through all Building Block recipes.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate this recipe and leave a comment for me.
Happy baking!
📖 Recipe
Foolproof Pie Crust with Egg and Vinegar
This has been my go-to pie crust recipe for the past 25 years. I've used it to make hundreds of pies of every variety and it hasn't failed me yet. It's tender, flaky, flavorful, extremely easy to work with, and truly worthy of the name "foolproof".
Ingredients
- 4 cups (480 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 – 2 tablespoons sugar (I like to use 2 tablespoons for sweet pies and 1 tablespoon for savory pies)
- 2 teaspoons salt (not course ground)
- 1 ¾ cups (322 grams) solid vegetable shortening, OR 1 ¾ cup (395 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (*See note)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar (*See note)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (4 ounces) ice water
Instructions
- Add 3 cups of the flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Alternatively, add these ingredients to a large bowl and stir with a wire whisk to combine.
- Add the shortening or butter (or a combination of shortening and butter) and pulse until the mixture resembles damp, coarse sand. OR, use your fingers to rub the fat into the flour until the flour is coated with fat. You'll have some pieces of shortening or butter that are larger, about the size of a blueberry, but most of it will be rubbed into the flour. Add the remaining cup of flour and pulse a couple of times just until barely incorporated. OR, mix the remaining cup of flour into the fat-coated flour with your hands or a spoon just until combined.
- If you've been using a food processor, dump the mixture out into a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, egg, and water. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula or your hands to gently toss the ingredients together, until all the flour is moistened and starting to form a dough. Do not knead the dough - work it gently. (If the dough isn't coming together and appears dry, add more water, one teaspoon at a time.)
- Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap or put it in a ziptop bag, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days. The dough is now ready to roll out and use in any recipe.
To line a pie plate with dough:
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14-inch circle. Run a large spatula or dough scraper under the dough as you roll to ensure your crust is not sticking to your rolling surface. Add additional flour as necessary.
- To place the dough in your pie plate, fold the dough in half (I use a large, flat spatula for this task) and then fold it over again, making a triangle.
- Place the dough in the pan with the tip of the triangle in the center of the pan. Unfold and gently press into the pan, making sure the crust is snug in the corners of the pan.
- Trim the excess dough from the edges, leaving enough to create a nice high edge to your pie, about an inch of overhang.
- Fold the overhang under itself so you have a cylinder that rests on the edge of the pie plate.
- With one hand on the inside of the edge, and one hand on the outside, use the index finger of your inside hand to push the dough between the thumb and index finger of your outside hand to form a U or V shape. Continue this crimping motion around the entire edge.
--> Here's How to Pre-Bake or Partially Pre-Bake a Pie Crust.
Notes
Substitutions for white distilled vinegar: You can use another mild vinegar such as unseasoned rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
Is it better to use butter or shortening to make this pie crust dough? Yes. Using butter will result in a lighter, buttery-tasting crust. Using shortening will result in a crust that holds its shape better, is easier to work with, and is flakier. You can also use half shortening and half butter, which is usually what I do. I suggest 1 cup vegetable shortening and ¾ cup butter.
How to store and freeze this pie crust dough:
This dough will keep in the refrigerator, well wrapped, for 5 days.
Freezing this pie dough: This pie crust dough can be frozen for up to three months. Form the dough into a ball and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer zip-top bag. Let the dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out and baking.
You can also roll the dough out before freezing it. Lay the rolled-out dough on a baking sheet, cover it with plastic wrap, and let freeze for a few hours until solid. Once solid, you can remove the dough from the baking sheet, wrapping it tightly before placing it back in the freezer.
To cut the recipe in half, use the following amounts:
- 2 cups (240 grams) of flour
- 2 teaspoons - 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (161 grams) OR unsalted butter (198 grams)
- 2 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 whole egg (yes, still use the whole egg)
- 3 tablespoons ice water
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 slice of a double crust pieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 238Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 197mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 2g
John says
I made this recipe using the halfed amounts shown. I used half butter and half shortening. The vinegar was apple cider vinegar since I was planning on making apple hand pies. The texture and flavor was SPOT ON! I'll be using this recipe again!
Rebecca Blackwell says
I am so happy to hear that John! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! I truly appreciate it!
Toni Ann says
Hi,
Can I use this dough to make hand pies?
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Toni! Yes! It works great for hand pies!
Kathleen says
Hello! I’m thinking of making crust from scratch for an apple galette. Since I only need need two (as I’m making two of them), is it best to use your halved recipe above and then once it’s all combined, divide into two and refrigerate in two pieces? Also, if using shortening: should it be refrigerated (or maybe frozen?) before using hands to combine? I am panicked at combining the fat with the dry ingredients and messing it up so your tips above were helpful!
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Kathleen! Cutting this recipe in half should give you exactly the amount of dough you'll need for two galettes. But, if it were me, I'd make the full recipe and then freeze whatever pie crust dough I had left over. I always find it useful to have some extra dough on hand - so making the full recipe will give you plenty to work with. Regardless, you can refrigerate the dough all in one ball - it's easy to cut in half and divide as you like after it's been refrigerated. And there's no need to refrigerate the shortening. I know it seems tricky, but this recipe really is extremely difficult to mess up. It's a very forgiving dough. 🙂 I hope that answers all your questions but please do let me know if you have any other questions or concerns! And I'd love to hear how your galettes come out!
Janis R Larson says
Please advise to remember always have the fridge cold butter or cold shortening for any pie crust.
frank romeo says
hi rebecca ,do i use both shortening and butter in the pie crust or cut each one in half?
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Frank! You can use all shortening or all butter, or any combination of the two as long as the total amount of fat comes to 1 3/4 cup. Does that make sense?
Timothy Krantz says
Do you pre bake this crust?
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Timothy! You can prebake this crust, if the pie recipe you are making calls for it. In case the recipe calls for it, here's how to pre-baked or partially pre-baked this crust.
karen says
Lard has been mentioned locally rendered lard is very plentiful in my small ecuador town do I use the same amounas butter, cold?
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Karen! Yes! You can use lard in this piecrust recipe in the same amount as butter - 1 3/4 cup or 395 grams. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Kelly says
Hi, I don’t know if you or anyone has tried this with a 1:1 gluten free flour… but if I tried it, would I leave out the vinegar because there is no gluten to work against ? Thanks much !
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Kelly! A touch of vinegar even in gluten-free pie crust helps give the baked crust a flaky texture. My suggestion is to leave it in. I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions and I'd love to hear how your gluten-free crust comes out for you!