How to Make All-Butter Pie Crust

Enter, the all-butter pie crust. 

I’m a firm believer of the all-butter crust, and today I’m going to teach you how to make all-butter pie crust. Bonus points if you make your own butter at home!

A pie crust that flops is honestly so mortifying because as a 31-year-old, I feel like this is something I should have under control by now. I’ve made dozens of crappy crusts, but once I figured out this all-butter pie crust, my pies were back on top. Move over Mabel, this county fair is in the bag.

I’m about 95% positive that if you’re reading this, you’re probably also in a hurry and have no interest in my second cousin’s wedding which led to an epiphany that changed the trajectory of my life… so I’ll save that for later.

LOL just kidding.

Alright, on to the all-butter pie crust of your dreams.

Ingredients for All-Butter Pie Crust

• Unsalted butter, two sticks (16 tablespoons) *cold
• 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur brand)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup ice water 

A note about the salt: if you’re lazy like me and can’t be bothered to buy multiple types of butter… just use the salted butter you have, and reduce the salt added to ½ teaspoon.

Dice the butter into tiny cubes and add it to a large bowl with the flour. You want to work the butter in until it’s just mixed in–don’t completely melt it into the flour. 

Pro hack: dump butter, salt, and flour into a bowl and use a potato masher to work it all together. No slicing and dicing required.

Start to add in the ice water a little bit at a time to bring the butter and flour together. It should be pretty rough with chunks of butter still throughout it. It’s ready when it just holds together. If there are dry spots or any chunks falling off, add a little more water to stick it all together. 

Bring the dough together into a ball and cut it in half. Gently make two disks out of it. They’ll be rough and chunky looking–that’s okay. 

Wrap the dough disks separately in cling wrap and place them into the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill before rolling. 

If you forget it in the fridge, or are making it for later, let the dough sit on the counter for 15 or so minutes to bring it to room temperature before rolling. 

After it’s chilled for 30 minutes, bring it out, roll out your all-butter pie crust, and get to work. That pie won’t make itself!