Flaky Pie Crust

The first step in making homemade pie crust is to quickly whisk together the salt and flour in a large mixing bowl. Then, use a pastry blender to cut the cold butter into the flour. Test Kitchen Tip: If you're short on time, use a food processor to cut the butter into the dough. Add your ingredients into the food processor and pulse as needed until the crumbs become pea-sized. Work the butter into the dough until the bits are about pea-sized. Avoid using your fingers to mix—your hands are warm and will melt the butter!

Next, add ice-cold water to your pastry mix. Start slow with just 2 or 3 tablespoons and add more as needed (a tip from Grandma's pie-making rulebook). Using a fork, toss (don't press) the cold butter and water into the flour just until everything is mixed and thoroughly coated. Your crust is at the right consistency when it holds together when pressed. Test Kitchen Tip: Avoid overmixing the pie crust dough—handling the dough too much will create a tough crust. A gentle hand is needed to create flaky layers.

Before doing anything else with your pastry, let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour to help firm up the butter. We'll say it a thousand times if we have to: Cold butter equals flaky crusts. To chill, form the pastry dough into a disk and cover it tightly with storage wrap or waxed paper.

After allowing your homemade pie crust to chill, it's time to get rolling. Lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. If you have a stainless steel or marble rolling pin, pop it in the fridge or freezer in advance—this will keep the pastry dough cool. To roll, work from the center and move outward to the edges. To help ensure an even shape, give the crust a quarter turn after each roll. Roll until you reach the appropriate size and thickness. Most pie crust recipes call for crust that's 1/8-inch thick—about the same thickness as two quarters stacked on top of each other. If necessary, add an extra sprinkling of flour to prevent sticking. Test Kitchen Tip: If the crust rips when it's rolled out, dip a finger in cold water and patch with a bit of extra dough.

The most stressful part of pie baking is moving your perfectly rolled crust into the pie pan—it can make even experienced bakers tremble. But if you work quickly and confidently, you'll be just fine (remember that you can always patch or reroll the dough if needed). To move the crust into the pan, rely on your rolling pin. Drape the crust over the pin and quickly move it to your pan. Allow the pastry to ease into the plate and let it settle before you manipulate it. Trim the edges, leaving some excess to crimp. If you're making a single-crust pie, all that's left is to finish the edges. If you're creating a double-crust pie, it's time to fill the pie and work on rolling out the second crust. You'll use the same rolling pin drape method to transfer that crust to cover the top of your pie. If you're making a double-crust pie, don't forget to add vents to allow steam to escape. This can be as simple as adding slashes, but you can also do it by creating a decorative topper like a lattice crust.

You can finish your pie crust in a variety of ways. Pinching the pastry around the edges is the most traditional method, but you can make decorative pie crusts with all sorts of nifty edges, like ropes or braids. You can also make pretty impressions just using a fork. For a fluted crust, position your index finger on the edge of the pie facing outward. Then, place your other thumb and index finger on the outside edge, and pinch the crust around your finger to form a V. Continue around the entire edge of the pie crust. After all that, it's time to bake your pie. Just remember to place it on the center rack and keep an eye on it as it bakes to prevent overbrowning. Test Kitchen Tip: Making a pie crust shield is a handy trick for preventing a burnt crust.