How to Make Pie Dough by Hand

1. Stage

Prep your ingredients and work station: On a clean countertop, set out a piece of plastic wrap about a foot and a half long. Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside. Cube the butter into 1/4-inch chunks, or—this is my preference—quickly grate it using the coarse holes of a box grater. If the butter is starting to get soft, pop it in the freezer for 10  minutes.

2. Stage

Work the butter into the dough: Add the butter bits to the bowl of dry ingredients and toss to coat. With the tips of your fingers, smash and pinch the tiny butter cubes to make crumbles and flakes no larger than peas. Stick the whole bowl in the freezer for a few minutes if the butter starts to feel greasy.

3. Stage

Add the chilled liquid: Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of ice water (or whichever chilled liquid you choose) over the mixture and toss it all together like a salad (don’t knead). Continue tossing and adding liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until everything comes together to form a rough, shaggy mass that holds its shape when you press a clump together. Err on the side of slightly sticky, rather than dry and crumbly, if you’re unsure when to stop.

4. Stage

Chill 30 minutes before rolling: Shape into a ball, place on the precut plastic wrap, and flatten into a disc about 6 inches across. Wrap the disc securely and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling. To Roll the Dough

5. Stage

Gather your tools: This is best done in a cool kitchen, which keeps the dough from breaking down and becoming fragile and greasy. If your kitchen is hot, consider working early in the morning, when it’s coolest. Generously flour a clean counter or pastry cloth. Dust the rolling pin and the dough itself on both sides well with flour. If the dough has been in the fridge for more than a few hours, let it sit out for 15 minutes before rolling it out.

6. Stage

Begin rolling: Working from the center of the dough, roll away from you and then toward you, rotating the disk of dough bit by bit as you roll. This helps keep it from sticking. Dust the dough and/or the counter with more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. To line a 9-inch pie dish, you’ll want a circle of dough at least 14 inches across.

7. Stage

Transfer the rolled-out dough to the dish: Brush the excess flour off the dough with a clean, dry pastry brush or your hand. Lift the rolled-out dough into the dish by rolling it up on the pin and letting it drape over the center of the dish. Carefully press down the dough to line the bottom and sides of the dish.

8. Stage

Shape the crust: Trim the excess from the sides of the pan. If you’d like to create a folded and pinched edge, leave about 1 inch of overhang. If the dough is too brittle to easily fold without it cracking, just trim it so the crust is even with the rim of the pan. To make a fluted edge, gently fold the inch of overhanging dough so you can tuck it under itself, making a clean, thick edge. Then use your thumb and forefinger to pinch and flute the edges.  Don’t worry about a picture-perfect crust! Imperfections often disappear once the pie is baked.  To blind-bake the crust (fully bake the crust without any filling), proceed as you would with any other pie dough. Love the recipe? Leave us stars below!