Basic Flaky Pie Crust

I gave the dry ingredients and the shortning a whiz in my food processor until it formed a small crumb, then poured this into a bowl and added the water. This dough was so easy to work with. I'm so impressed with myself...the dough was delightfully flaky. I've always stayed away from making pie crust...but no more!! Peach season is just starting here and i can't wait to try my hand at a pie with this dough! Thank you Stephanie!! UPDATE: Since writing my review six months ago, I've gained a reputation for my flaky pie crust. I've been asked numerous times to make pies for gatherings. For people who have problems with this recipe, here are a few suggestions: Add an extra tbsp of water to the mixture, roll the dough between 2 pieces of waxed paper to prevent sticking and for easy transfer, and even though the recipe says to chill the dough, you don't have to. I've been working with this dough without chilling it, and I find it turns out even flakier, and is so easy to work with. Hope this helps!

EASY! TASTY! I didn't have any shortening (I guess I can't buy it in my country/ I don't know what it is (?)) I made the crust with butter. Turned out really great. (though there wasn't enough for one quiche) To roll out the dough: Take a piece of clingfilm. On top of it you put the dough. Cover it with another piece of clingfilm. Then roll out the dough. Remove the upper layer of plastic. Put it up side down in your pie pan and pull the plastic off. So easy, I assure you won't have any problems! (And you don't need extra flour this way) I froze the crust, then prebaked it for 15 minutes. Brushed the crust with some eggwhite and put it back in the oven for 30 seconds (so it becomes 'waterproof') then put the filling in it. Try this recipe! Caroline

I also was disappointed that the recipe directions did not include baking instructions; the type of pie I made (Lemon Meringue) required a pre-baked crust. Using the directions from a very similar pie crust recipe in a cookbook I have, I baked the crust at 475 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.

This recipe is exactly like a recipe I found in a 1940's cookbook. This recipe makes pie crusts simple. If you have time to refrigerate the dough after it is mixed, it will roll out better. Also, using cheese cloth under the dough to roll it out will prevent sticking plus help you put it in a pie plate. One more hint I found in that cookbook. Glass pie plates will bake more evenly than metal.

WOW, this pie crust is the best i've ever tried making or eating. So flaky and buttery. It was great. I doubled the recipe for a double crust, and I used butter flavored shortening that I got really cold in the freezer. I rolled it out between two sheets of wax paper to avoid adding more flour, since that will make your pie dough tough. It was sooooo beautiful and wonderful, and I also added 2 tsps of sugar to it, to give it a sweetness. OMG thank you for the recipe!

First thing's first: this is not a good double crust pie. I would not recommend this AT ALL for fruit pies. However, it's an excellent single crust for custard and cream pies and my favorite for pumpkin pie. It will come out flaky and soft and dry on the bottom for a great tasting pie and it holds up well for presentation and serving. It's best not to overwork the dough and if it's too sticky or dry, you can adjust the flour and water some and still come out with a great crust. I prefer to cut the dough not like course crumbs but like pea or hazelnut sized pieces and then blend the water. This makes the dough stick together better when kneaded and folded. I also keep the edges of the pie covered for the duration of the cooking time. The crust is baked through and tastes good so you won't be scraping pie crust edges of of company's plates.

After 50 years of baking pies and after trying countless new pie crust recipes, I think I may have found another favorite! Sure, I used half butter/half shortening, and sure, there are other fine recipes (as well as some real dogs!), but this one is the first that worked this well for me using the food processor. Easy to roll out too. I just might find myself making more pies now! And just as the submitter claimed, this really IS a flaky crust, but she forgot to mention how tender it is! This one's a winner.

This is wonderful- perfect with any pie! I use it for Apple Pie by Grandma Ople from this site- superb!! I used butter and have also used butter blend instead of shortening and turned out great! Very flaky - rave reviews from all who have tasted!

This is a very good basic pie crust recipe; while some people use butter, and others shortening, I prefer half butter and half shortening ... butter for flavor and shortening for flakiness. The secret to good piecrust, however, is not the ingredients as much as the technique. What works for me ... allow butter to come to room temp, blend with shortening, then refrigerate till firm. Cut in flour and salt; sprinkle on ice water and toss to mix until it just holds together. Form a flattened ball, and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Allow to sit at room temp for 30 minutes, then roll out between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Shape pie crust; refrigerate 30 minutes more before filling or baking. This sounds like a lot of work, but each step is very quick, and I've finally learned to make great flaky piecrust this way! UPDATE: Someone asked about freezing this. You can refrigerate the disk for about 2 weeks, or you can freeze it for 3 months. Great way to get a head start on the holidays!

??? It was so very crumbly! Did anyone else have trouble rolling this dough? It cracked badly...EXACTLY followed the recipe...

In place of the shortening, I use real butter. It makes a huge difference and really tastes a whle lot better!!

Outstanding, SUPER FLAKY pie crust, all owed to the shortening. I'm a real butter fanatic, but I have to admit that shortening yields an extremely flaky crust. But since it has no salt, you will need to double the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. I also add 1 teaspoon of sugar. For those having a hard time rolling out the dough due to crumbling, you're either working with dough that is still too cold. After refridgeration, let the dough sit at room temp. for about 10 min. before rolling. The refridgeration is really optional but it does let the gluten and protein fibers rest before you roll which strengthens the dough and prevents crumbling. A second reason is that you might be using too much flour. Make sure you scoop your flour into a measuring cup and lightly swipe the exceess off the top. Too much flour will crumble and dry out the raw dough. Good luck. This is a great crust that can be easily doubled. Beware - this does not make enough crust for a deep dish bottom crust.

This is the best pie crust recipe I've come across by far. For best results, I use real shortening made from animal fat, not that awful hydrogenated vegetable shortening stuff. If you use the latter, your pie crust will be lacking.

Perfect pie crust! Extremely light and flaky, it melts in your mouth. I mixed everything in my food processor and it couldn't have been easier. Using 3 Tbs. ice water gave me the best results, and I baked it at 425 degrees for 12-15 min.

A good, simple, easy to handle pie crust. I used butter flavored shortening and it tasted very good (the finished crust that is). Remember to liberally dust your work surface and dough surface otherwise it will stick! This recipe yielded enough for one pie crust with enough left over to make a small dessert or two.

AMAZING! This is replacing Grandma's recipe (sorry, Grandma!) as our new favorite. I can't get over how flaky and lovely this is. I did toss the first three ingredients into my food processor as I have never been any good at cutting in shortening. This worked like a charm, and then I used a fork to incorporate the ice water. I didn't bother chilling the dough before rolling it out, but I DID make sure to roll it out on top of a sheet of plastic wrap (with my silicone rolling pin, so it didn't stick). Tip for getting a crust this soft into a pie pan: after rolling it out on the plastic wrap, roll it up--plastic wrap, too--and then unroll it, dough side down, over your pie plate. This never fails!

This recipe will be my pie crust recipe forever! I use it to make turkey pot pie....so tasty, the perfect crust and very easy to roll out. I do the entire mix in the food processor, removing it after the water is added and it comes together! Love it!

This dough tasted very good but it completely fell apart on me.. I followed to the T! I'll go back to my old recipe because this one is just not good enough for all the baking I do.

perfect!! No need to try any others! Amazingly flaky! I doubled the recipe for a double crust pie.

Okay, the fact that I am rating this with 5 stars says a lot, I really have always hated pie crust, so dry and just not the best part of pie to me. But this crust was awesome! It was really flakey and moist, not dry. So yummy! I actually ate all the crust on my pumpkin pie I made, instead of picking it all off! hehe Super easy and delicious, thanks!

I modified this recipe a bit in an attempt to copy my grandmother's pie crust. I increased the flour to 2 cups and the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. I used 1/2 cup cold butter(NOT margarine!), 1/2 cup lard (vegetable shortening can also be used), 3 tablespoons ice water, 1 large beaten egg and 1 teaspoon vinegar. Afterwards, I cut the butter and lard into the flour as directed in the recipe, although I used a fork instead of a pastry blender. Next, I combined the ice water, vinegar, and egg in a small bowl. Then I added this mixture to the flour mixing with fork just until the flour was moistened. Then, I divided dough in half, shaped each into a ball covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated them for an hour.The result turned out to be ABSOLUTELY the BEST homemade pie crust anyone who tasted it has EVER eaten! NOTE: For added gloss and texture,if making a sweet double crust pie, brush the top crust with an eggwash using a beaten egg, a tablespoon of water. Sprinkle crust with sugar. If making savory double crust pie, brush with eggwash but don't sprinkle with sugar.

This is a very reliable pie crust. I like to use it for meat pies and quiche. I have used it with the shortening and I've also subbed the shortening with sweet cream butter. My favorite way is with the butter. If you are looking for a flaky pie crust - your search is over- this crust takes the cake...err pie.

This is pretty good. I doubled mine, and added 2 tsp. of granulated sugar to it. Made cinnamon sugar treats out of the scraps of dough.

I also used Butter Flavored Crisco. I put the Crisco in the freezer for about 15 minutes to chill. I filled a glass with ice and water and used this for my water. I also chilled the dough for 30 minutes like it says. This is the best crust I've ever made. My mom makes these wonderful crusts, and I've never been able to get mine flaky. This tasted great, and was sooo flaky. It was so easy! Will definitely use again!

The first pie crust I've ever made that didn't crumble or crack when I rolled it out (and I've made a LOT of pie crusts)! It rolled out beautifully into an almost-perfect circle with no problems. I like to make a couple extras, roll them out into circles and then roll them loosely into tubes like the pre-made Pillsbury pie crusts. Wrap in waxed paper and foil, seal, and freeze. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before using. Much better than those store-bought ones which use trans-fats and preservatives!

There are so many reviews for this crust I know, but I just had to share mine as well! I've been trying to make a great pie crust for about 25 yrs. I finally gave up and started using the Pillsbury ones and liked them ok, but was making a peach pie like the one i had picked up fresh from my local farmers market and wanted to try my hand at a homemade crust again. instead of crisco like many others, i used butter and added 2 tsp. of sugar, other than that oh and doubling the recipe i didn't change a thing. I was a little unsure of what 1 crust meant, enough for 1 whole pie or just 1 bottom crust, thank goodness 1 review in there gave a recipe for doubling it which i did and needed for a double crust pie. So, my entire family said this was better than they've ever eaten anywhere ever and I agree. I told my son, i wanted to make this and just eat it plain without filling it's that good, and he agreed! I am going to make this for my entire family for the 4th of july week at the coast. I will never again try another recipe. it did stick a little when rolling out, but i can live with that! oh man is it good! please try this before any others, you won't be disappointed!

This was an excellent pie crust! I used butter instead of shortening, and one trick my sister taught me is to use frozen butter and grate it with a cheese grater. It makes it much easier to cut into the dry ingredients.

I used this recipe as a base to recreate a recipe that I can't find. I added 1 teaspoon of sugar to the flour, used cold butter instead of shortening, and added cold water to 1 teaspoon of vinegar to equal 3 tablespoons. I am not sure exactly what the vinegar does, but you won't find a more flaky or tender crust.

My first pie crust! Perfect! Great tips from others: use butter, food processor, roll between parchment paper, chill before use, be quick so everything stays cold, and don't overwork to leave butter bits. Why have I been buying pie crusts all these years? This is WAY better, cheaper, and fast. Huh! Thanks!

I used 4 1/2 Tsp of ice water (stirred in with a fork) Then combined the crumbs and chilled for 30 min. Rolled the dough between layers of cling film. I used this to make mini Caramel Pecan Pies and was truely impressed. Flaky, buttery, light.... exactly what I was looking for.

My first SUCCESSFULL pie crust! I tried pie crust once upon a time and don't really remember what went wrong but this was perfect instructions! I did use butter instead of shortening because I didn't have any on hand. My husband was very impressed. I'm hoping now he doesn't expect me to bake all the time...

Great recipe. Makes one crust, so double if you're making a two crust pie. Be sure to follow the instruction to chill the shortening and the water. Chilling is crucial for a flaky end result, and you can make this pie even better if you also chill the flour, your mixing bowl, the appliance you use to cut the shortening into the flour, the room you work in, etc. If you want a richer crust, you can substitute some or all of the shortening for butter, using equal portions. However, butter won't flake as much as shortening. My final note is that you should work the dough as little as possible. The more you roll and reuse dough, the less flaky and tender the end result will be.

Wonderful pie crust. I used butter at fridge temp and ended up using about 4 Tbls of ice water. I think the amount of water you use will depend a lot on the weather that day. I lightly worked it, wrapped it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for an hour. Took it out started to roll it and it was a little too crumbly. So I worked it a little more (lightly) and it finally came together very nicely. Rolled it out on a lightly floured surface turning after each roll to get a nice circle shape. Baked crust was immensely flaky and had a good taste.

All those who did not like this recipe, you don't know what you're missing! This pie crust was perfect, I didn't have to add any more water. Used butter instead of shortening. It came out so pretty, like in a magazine picture!

This is exactly my paternal grandmother's pie crust, and it is always excellent. Regarding two of the comments--you don't include baking instructions with pie crust because the time and temp vary with what you're putting in the pie; as far as the comment about "don't use this for fruit pies or for double crusts"--BALDERDASH...you don't know what you're talking about. This is an excellent crust for apple, cherry, pumpkin, mincemeat, rhubarb, blueberry, or most any pie, because it complements instead of covers up the taste and texture of the fruit. If you're doing a double crust, make sure that you keep the edges moist and use a bit of egg dip between them before you crimp them together. My grandmother did some slices into the upper crust to vent, then dotted the crust with softened butter and sprinkled cane sugar on top before baking. Perfection!

Great crust. A little tip that I've learned...instead of using a pastry blender, put the dry ingredients into a food processor and pulse to mix them. Then add the shortening, pulsing it in until it becomes like a corn meal...Add the ice water, pulsing it in as well until a dough forms. It makes life a LOT easier!!

I love this pie crust recipe altough I did change it a little. I sifted the flour and salt then took out 1/4 cup flour and set it aside. I then cut the shortening into the flour until crumbled. Then took the 1/4c reserved flour and added 3 tbl of cold water and made a paste which I then put into the flour/shortening crumbles and mix and then form into a ball. I then just roll it out and skip the 30 min chill. It saves on time and turns out just as good.

This is my first time making pie. I made black pepper chicken pie (mini). I was looking for simple flaky crust, and found this one. I have to say, this is the keeper. It turns out GREAT. The pie crust is the type that melt-in-your-mouth. My husband love it. Since I read few reviews about shortening and butter, I decided to combine both. So I use 1/4 C shortening and 1/4 C butter. I won't bother to find another pie crust recipe anymore. Thank you for posting this recipe.

Wonderful! Probably the best pie crust I've ever made. I put 1 TB of sugar in to make it a little sweeter, and it still turned out incredibly flaky.

Now that I am engaged, I thought I would make an attempt to make a homemade pie crust to begin our own family traditions. My first time around, and it turned out great! I did get the crust a little thick, but that was due to my own inexperience and thought I had it thin... oh well, can't wait to try it again! Used butter instead of shortening and a little more water than what was called for in the recipe. When I rolled it out, first folded a couple drops of water, patted it fairly flat, then placed another piece wax paper on top before rolling to keep from sticking to the pin. Took the top wax paper off and then used bottom piece of wax paper to help me flip the crust into the pan so it wouldn't crack too much on me. Also put the pie crust (and pan) in a zip lock baggie and put in the freezer for a couple days. (Over Thanksgiving, there's too much to do and wanted to get something made ahead of time.) Crust still tasted great even though I froze it before baking.

Nice flaky crust. I also used butter because I had no shortening. I will try it with shortening next time, but this is the recipe that I will use for pie crust from now on. I have tried tons of different pie crust recipes because I just can't bring myself to use the prepared crusts. Thanks for the recipe. Update !! O.K. , I have now tried this piecrust with all butter, all crisco and half crisco, half butter - ALL GOOD. I have also found that you don't even have to chill the crust. I have been rolling it out between wax paper(with a little flour sprinkled on the dough) and it always turns out perfectly. The bottom crust stays flaky no matter how soupy the filling. I don't think I have made as many pies in my lifetime as I have since I tried this recipe. As one other reviewer said, it is great with any type of pie. Thank you..thank you for sharing!

Unbelievable!!!!! I've never made a pie before and this crust was simpley divine!! I made Apple Pie by Grandma Ople from this site with this pie crust (as recommended by someone) WOW! But I recommend you triple the quantity of dough to make the top of the pie as well. The original recipe barely covered my 9 inch baking dish! Wonderful!!!

Had a heavy shortening taste which was unpleasant. Very crumbly also.

This was the first crust I've ever made and it was delicious. I made a pie the other week with a frozen one and man what a difference. This crust was so buttery and yummy. I didn't know exactly how to make the sides look professional and pretty but tried to sculpt it into a decent shape. I highly recommend this crust and do not know what those negative reviews are all about. Thanks Stephanie!

Simple and very versatile. I made a blueberry pie, and absolutely no problems with it being soggy. I took the suggestions and brushed the bottom crust with egg white, the crust with milk and sprinkled with sugar, then pre-baked at 400 for 10 minutes. Crust works great for a lattice pie too. I covered the edges with foil after 25 minutes, then cooked for another 20 minutes- perfect!

Not to much flavor, and was hard to work. I will keep looking.

Awesome, awesome, awesome pie crust! I've made it several times and it has come out well each time. I always have to add a little extra ice water, though... About 5 T instead of 3...

Giving this a 4 instead of a 5 because I am not 100% sure about the flavor as it has not been served yet (raw tasted great, sick I know). I made this two ways, for one batch I used butter flavor crisco sticks and for the second batch I used butter, just butter. It was more difficult to get the butter to mix in and form little balls, it looked a little too wet after 2 Tbs of water were added and it was super hard when I took it out of the fridge, think of the original product (butter Vs. chilled crisco. However, the batch with the butter rolled more nicely and stayed together a bit better than the crisco batch, and it's more natural also. Just be sure to leave it out of the fridge for 20 minutes or so when you are ready to use it. When I make this again I will stick with the butter mostly because of the way that it rolled out!

I am not overly experienced with making pie crusts, so i ended up needing to do this twice. First time i refrigerated the dough. Found it worked better the second time wheni omitted this step. Dough was much more pliable. I took someone else's idea and rolled the dough out between wax paper. It worked really well and did not toughen the texture of the dough. Once i got the hang of it, the second time around was much better. The end result was flaky and melt in your mouth,

This was the best pie crust I have ever made. I use BUTTER and not shortning. Cut the butter in and add the water but do NOT over-mix the dough....work the dough (or crust) until it comes togther, make it into a ball and then flatten it out like a thick pancake before you put it in the fridge. I make it this way all the time and I don't even need flour on my pin or surface!

Easy & Great tasting recipe! For those who have trouble rolling dough, try putting it between 2 sheets of wax paper first and roll it out. Then just peel top off and turn over to place in baking dish. This works great for me every time without the dough tearing or sticking to the roller. Enjoy!

I have made this crust twice now. The first time it turned out ok but the second time it turned out a lot better. Very flaky and moist. I made it in my food processor which was fast and easy.

Perfect flaky crust, easy and quick. I used butter instead of shortening, and found that using it right away is just as good as refrigerating first then rolling out. No difference. Enjoy!

Very flaky as promised- but not a lot of flavor. Next time I might sub some butter for the all the shortening and maybe add sugar.

I love cooking but am not into baking so had no clue how to make a crust for a pot pie (I usually use a premade or even Pilsbury crescent roll dough on occasion). I found this recipe and followed it exactly. As soon as he dug in my husband remarked on how good and flaky the crust was and asked me what I did different. Saved this one, thanks for sharing.

This is a great recipe. The one I've been using for years. I usually double or even quadruple the recipe to make a lot of pies come fall and thanksgiving. Here's what I like to do with it. I mix a tablespoon of vanilla extract into the water to give the dough some more flavor and I add a touch of sugar (about 2 T.)per batch. In the summer when making berry or peach/nectarine pies I like to use lemon extract but only about 1 teaspoon instead of 1 T. otherwise it is too strong.

Ohhh this was REALLY GOOD!!!!!! So basically, I've always been sort of....scared to death -or maybe just intimidated- by making pie crust, ever since I tried it when I was about six. Let's just say it didn't turn out that well. As a rule, I don't care for using pastry cutters (I just hate having to always scrape out the butter that gets stuck in there and everything....I'm weird that way), and try to avoid recipes that require them: i.e. Pie Crust! Basically, I hadn't ventured a pie (at least not one with homemade crust) since the disastrous six-year-old experience. I guess you know where this is leading. I made it, and it wasn't too clumpy or too dry or too sticky, and it rolled out really nice and easy, and I baked it (with apples from our old tree out back--little tiny ones that took FOREVER to peel and slice--but that's a different story), and it turned out :::::::::::::::::::PERFECT::::::::::::::::::::::: !! So thank you for defeating my fear of pie crusts AND for giving me this awesome recipe that I will certainly use again!

This was a great recipe for pie crust, it was flaky just as promised and I loved the hint of sweet! The only thing I changed was I did not put it in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling out. Was in a hurry and you know what? it worked just fine! In the past I have always had problems with pie crusts when I put them in the fridge to cool...

Excellent crust. I haven't attempted a pie crust in a long time because the time or two I did, it was a big flop. This recipe worked great! I used wax paper below and above the dough to roll it out and that made it super easy to move to the pan. I used butter flavored Crisco and that made it extra yummy. As suggested, I spread egg white on both the top and bottom crust to prevent them from becoming too soggy and it worked well. The crust was tender, flaky, and delicious. I'm so excited that I don't have to buy those mediocre, yet expensive pie crusts any more!

This has become my standard pie crust for pot pies and desert pies. I use lard (makes for a super-flaky crust); if it's a desert pie I do half-lard half-butter and add some sugar (maybe 1 or 2 tablespoons). I flatten the ball of dough into a disk (I usually put it in a gallon-sized baggie first, and then flatten it to a round almost the full size of the baggie.. after cooling, just cut the baggie's edges and peel off of the dough). If you flatten it before refrigerating, it won't crack on the edges as much when you roll it out later. This recipe received high praise from my mother, master of the excellent pie crust! Thanks, Stephanie!

Really good pie crust. I add a dash of cinnamon to mine.

So flaky and good! I use half butter half shortening and doubled the recipe using 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp water as suggested by another reviewer. Used for empanadas!

This was terrible. The three tablespoons of ice water did make it come together in the food processor but when I rolled it out it wouldn't go thin enough and broke off in about ten pieces. I used butter instead of shortening as I didn't have it at my store. It wouldn't get any thinner or else it would just break apart and then I had to hodge podge it into the pie pan. It turned out to be a biscuit crust. Not flaky. It was much too thick. My advice for anyone wanting to use this recipe, you may well need more than 3 tblspns of ice water otherwise it will not roll properly. No one ate the crust on my homemade pie.

I made this pie crust for all my pies at Thanksgiving. It was delicious and tender/flakey!!! even the bottom turned out geat! I did add 2T. of sugar and I didn't really measure the water. I chilled and cubed my butter flavored crisco and used icewater. It was the best crust I have ever made and now I am not afraid to make pie crusts! I also wrapped them in plastic and put them in the fridge before rolling, rolled them between 2 sheets of wax paper and put them back in the fridge before baking or filling. Now if I ever learn how to do pretty edges, my pies will be perfect!

This is the recipe I have used for 29 years with two exceptions. First, I was taught by a Russian baker to use lard. Yep, lard. You will not believe how much more flake and tender the crust is than with butter or shortening. That said use the product you like and you will still have a winning pie crust. Second exception, work shortening, butter or lard into flour until pea size balls form. Refrigerate 2 hours and then add ice water before rolling out. It will be a breeze to work with. This increases your flakiness. If you inadvertently used too much flour, as this recipe is not in weight but cup measurement and that can happen all too easy. RELAX and add a drop or two more water until it forms a nice ball that sticks together easy. Not a wet, dripping ball but a ball of pliable dough. Roll out on a lightly floured surface. The colder the dough- the flakier the crust and the ease of the roll out. I no longer use measurement but eye ball the the product. Enough fat in the flour will give you pea size balls and enough water will give you a ball of pliable dough. For you first timers, go on- be fearless and experiment with your technique. You'll be making award winning crust too in no time.

I found this recipe just fantasic! I was never able to make a homemade crust before. It rolled out perfect and tastes just great! It definately will be used again... and again... and again. Pie will be on the menu more often ;-)

I love this crust! I am not an expert baker but this recipe makes me look like I am! I have used it for fruit pies, pot pies (chicken and turkey). I tripled the recipe and got enough for three full pies. I basically took the butter right out the fridge, cut it into tablespoon portions, put the flour and salt in my food processor 1st and pulsed a few times to combine. Then I dropped in the chunks of butter and pulsed until I got a coarse crumb. Drizzled in the water by the tablespoon and VOILA! Dumped out the mixture on to a cutting board and gently formed a ball and chilled for 1/2 hour. Other reviews I read here said they didn't chill so I tried it with the next batch. Worked beautifully! I put the dough between two sheets of cling wrap and rolled out in record time! Thanks so much for this great recipe, Stephanie!`

This was terrible. The three tablespoons of ice water did make it come together in the food processor but when I rolled it out it wouldn't go thin enough and broke off in about ten pieces. I used butter instead of shortening as I didn't have it at my store. It wouldn't get any thinner or else it would just break apart and then I had to hodge podge it into the pie pan. It turned out to be a biscuit crust. Not flaky. It was much too thick. My advice for anyone wanting to use this recipe, you may well need more than 3 tblspns of ice water otherwise it will not roll properly. No one ate the crust on my homemade pie.

I use crisco butter flavored cooking sticks for this recipe. Easy to cut into cubes and incorporate into the dough. Also, if you don't have time to refrigerate, lightly dust a sheet of wax paper, put dough on top, lightly dust dough and then top with another sheet of wax paper and roll out. Then just peel off top paper and invert into pie plate and carefully pull off other wax paper. This is a great crust and I have used it several times.

Almost exactly like my Mom's recipe. Perfect!

Very easy to make, and the taste is perfect. Two hints though: #1 Don't skip the pastry bender. It's so much easier and the dough blends better. #2 To take the struggle out of getting the crust into the pie pan, take a large piece of wax paper and put refrigerated dough in the middle. Put another piece of wax paper on top, and roll out to desired size. Peel top layer of wax paper off, flip dough upside down in pie pan, and peel the other piece off. No breaking, sooo easy!!

I used butter flavor shortening and it was perfect for my chicken pot pie!

I do not like the taste of the shortening, so I use 1/3 cup unsalted butter in a 1/2 cup size measuring cup, then fill to the top with crisco, I then chill it for 30 minutes in the fridge. for the dough I dump my flour and salt into my food processer then add the chilled butter and shortening mixture 1 tbsp at a time, then drizzle in 2 tbsp ice water, then chill it as directed for 30 minutes, the resulting baked dough is light and crispy with a buttery flavor.

I had a lot of difficulty with this crust. I am a culinary professional and while my forte is not baking, I have been pretty sucessful when it comes to pies. I couldn't keep the crust from falling apart when working with it. I used both of the suggestions: letting it warm-up a bit and adding more water to the dough and yet no luck. I suggest either working with it right after mixing it (what my Grandmother always does -- never chills it) or using one of two recipes that I have had great sucess with: 1. the basic pie dough recipe from "The Joy of Cooking" (the one I ended up using) which incorporates a little bit of butter, or 2. the basic tarte crust from Julia Child's "The Way to Cook" which I believe uses all butter. In any event, keep these things in mind if you use this recipe.

This is a keeper, such a basic recipe with great results. Throwing out my usual recipe and replacing with this! So So flaky

This was very good- and easy to make too! It's pretty much no fail. I don't make pies very often from scratch, so if I can make this come out well, practically anyone can!

I used butter instead of shortening and it came out perfect!

This pie crust is so simple and delicious. I use it on ALL my pie recipes. Flaky and sturdy enough to hold any filling. I suggest chilling in freezer for an hour. My recipe is always better when I chill for a long time...even better overnight! Make sure to double recipe for lattice.

It was a good recipe but it really needs 4 Tablespoons of water. When I made as stated it was too dry and crumbly.

Always used Grandmas "flaky" pie crust but this one is flakier. My husband really liked this crust and he is a pretty good food critic. I have made this several times in a weeks period. I altered it a little the second and third times I made it once I used 1 Tbls of vanilla in place of 1 Tbls of water and the second time I used 1 Tbls of almond flavoring in place of 1 Tbls of water. This would be a personal preference but the almond was AWESOME! Thanks for a great recipe. SSSSSH don't tell grandma she's been replaced.=(

Use a cheese grater to cut up frozen real butter. It folds into the flour with almost no water. I used far less than a single tablespoon. Excellent addition to this recipe.

Very easy to make, always have the ingredients in the pantry, extremely flakey. My only problem was, once I have this rolled out, I can't get it off the counter...even when I liberally flour work surfaces. Can anyone give me any tips? I didn't have wax paper on hand, so I tried aluminum foil, and it stuck to that, too. I managed to get a bottom crust by pushing pieces of dough into the pan, but my top crust was basically rolled out pieces that I put on the top. It didn't look bad, but it didn't look like a picture perfect pie. Oh well, the taste was picture perfect, and so I'm still rating this a 5 star recipe. Any tips are appreciated. Thank you for the recipe!

I doubled the recipe because I was making a pot pie - it seemed to make way more than I needed. It also was quite greasy, when I went to roll it out I added a lot of flour because it was so soft (even after sitting in the fridge for 24+ hours). I admit the shortening was super cold, but my mom doesn't chill her shortening at all. I did use butter flavored crisco & the actual taste of the dough was good. I just think maybe it didn't need as much shortening.

I made my first apple pie using this crust recipe. I used butter instead. Followed the recipe and it came out fantastic. I loved it. I am not a cook and love the simplicity of this recipe. Forget the store bought pie crust, I will be making my own pie crust from now on!

My first real attempt at homemade crust. It was so easy and turned out so great. Didn't change a thing!

My family and the guests i made it for loved it. Next time I will make it with butter flavored Crisco, should make an even better taste!

Woohoo! A great pie crust! I made one change, substituting half of the amount of shortening for butter and whirled the ingredients in the food processer. Done in a flash and the crust was absolutely wonderful! :)

This is the recipe I was raised on. We are big time pie fanatics in my family and this is the best crust ever! Make sure you don't beat the dough too much. The less you mix the more flaky your crust will be.

Easy to make and roll out. Final product looked nice but had the texture of chalk!

My rating scale (cause number of stars is subjective): 1-Didn't like it, 2-It's okay, 3-Liked it, 4-Loved it, 5-Can't get enough of it. I like to consider myself a good to very good cook, however I've never been able to make a good pastry crust. I've made this one twice and was successful both times!!! (kinda wondered if the first time was just a fluke haha)

I had a REALLY hard time with this. It was impossible to roll out. It looked like cookie dough. I followed the recipe exactly...Not sure what I did wrong! I'm throwing out a whole pie tonight and hoping I can grab one in the morning before Thanksgiving dinner! Thanks anyway!

I'm struggling with the rating, as I DID get a really flaky pie crust for my pumpkin pie using this recipe. It was SUPER easy to throw together and rolling it out was a cinch! But, following the recipe and just using shortening resulted in a rather flavorless pie crust... I'll try again with half butter next time, as I think that will help tremendously. And I also found that it would've been nice to have it make a little more dough... to do nice, pretty edges, but I found that it was a little short. Again, I'll give it another shot before I give up because it really was wonderfully tender and flaky!

I can't believe it! I finally found a recipe that makes the PERFECT pie crust. All the reviews were right -- it is extremely flaky and wonderful. Like another reviewer, I was disappointed that it didn't have the directions to bake off the shell -- but 400 degrees at 7 minutes did the trick for me (electric oven). I was extremely impressed. Normally my pie crusts are epic failures, but this is really a no brainer. Chilling the shortening beforehand really helps. This is now my go-to crust!

I am a proffesional pastry chef and this is the best recipe you will ever use for pie crust. You can even substitute 2T. of the butter for 2T. of shortening.

Easy and tasty, even though leave out the salt. I'll be making my pie crusts from now on. I've found it helps to roll out dough on a floured piece of wax paper.

Really simple pie crust that turns out pretty savory, but is a great compliment to any really sweet pie. I'd suggest multiplying the ingredients by 1.5 for one pie crust and 2.5 for a double pie crust unless you're gifted at rolling an extremely thin crust.

Dont like this recipe at all. It has way too much shortening in it. When cutting in the shortening to the flour it had already formed a ball. I still added the water just to see if this recipe had some special secret. It was much easier to roll this dough out with out chilling it. It completely crumbled when cold. While cooking this it bubbled and got really greasy. Trying to serve it was impossible. Crumbled all over the place. Taste was very greasy and tasteless.

Best pie crust I've ever made!!! I used unsalted frozen butter instead of shortening. I know I used more than 3T of ice water but that is the way it is usually... This pie crust was literally better than the fillings I put in it. It was buttery and flaky but didn't fall apart on your plate. Everyone at Thanksgiving dinner raved over it. For those of you having issues rolling, I put my dough in the freezer while making filling. Then I rolled it between wax paper with liberal amounts of flour and had no issues with it falling apart or sticking. It didn't even fall apart while making a lattice-top pie, which I've had problems with in the past. Most importantly though, this was the best-tasting pie crust I've had. And I'm the type of person who usually doesn't even eat the crust.

seriously...so flaky!! my pecan pie made with this crust is in the oven right now...but i baked the left over big of dough glazed with some leftover mixture and it came out SO flaky and delicious! i think next time, i'll add some sugar into the dough. :]