Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ cups (300g/10.5 oz) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon (5g/0.18oz) salt
  • 1 cup (227g/8 oz) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • ½ cup (120 ml/4 fluid oz) ice water, plus more if needed, 1 tbsp at a time.

Instructions:

  1. Whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl (or in the food processor).
  2. Add cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Pulse in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (or use pastry blender to cut in by hand). You should still see some pea-sized pieces of butter.
  3. Gradually add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly after each addition, until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix!
  4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently form into two flattened disks.
  5. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably 2, and up to 2 days. This allows the gluten to relax and prevents shrinkage during baking.
  6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough into a 12-inch circle.
  7. Gently transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate, being careful not to stretch it. Trim excess dough and crimp the edges as desired.
  8. If blind baking (for custard or no-bake pies), prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Line with parchment paper, fill with pie weights or dried beans, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove weights and bake for another 5-10 minutes to dry out the bottom.
  9. Fill the pie crust with your desired filling and bake according to the filling recipe instructions.