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Home » Recipes » Pies & Tarts

Last Updated: Sep 19, 2022 by Angela Latimer · 2 Comments

Best Pie Dough

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Pin image with text of the best pie dough.

The best pie dough uses the perfect combination of butter, flour, shortening, and water for a flaky and tasty crust! This dough is fantastic for any pie, pie bars, tarts, or pastry! Add in some vodka for an extra flaky and crispy crust!

Best Pie Dough Recipe With Shortening

This flaky and buttery crust is perfect for more than just pies! Whether you want it for a pastry or a tart, it will be wonderfully delicious!

Although this dough is exceptional just as it is, I love using vodka as a secret ingredient to get an extra flaky crust! It is one of my favorite baking tricks!

Square image of pie dough in pan.
This pastry dough is easy to make and incredibly tasty!
Jump to:
  • Best Pie Dough Recipe With Shortening
  • 🥘 Best Pie Dough Ingredients
  • 🔪 How To Make The Best Pie Dough With Vodka
  • 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
  • ❓ Is Pie Crust Better When Made With Butter Or Shortening?
  • ❓ Should You Chill Pie Crust Before Baking?
  • ❓ What Does Adding Vodka To Pie Crust Do?
  • 🥧 More Pie Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe Card
  • 💬 Comments & Reviews

🥘 Best Pie Dough Ingredients

These ingredients are common household staples. I recommend including the vodka for an extra flaky crust!

Tall image showing ingredients for the best pie dough.
  • Flour - 2½ cups of all-purpose flour.
  • Salt - 1 teaspoon of salt. If you are using salted butter, reduce this amount to just 1 pinch.
  • Butter - 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter that is chilled and cubed.
  • Vegetable Shortening - ⅔ cup of chilled vegetable shortening.
  • Ice Water - ½ cup of ice water. Additionally, you can use a combination of ¼ cup of ice water and ¼ cup of chilled vodka (*see note).

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make The Best Pie Dough With Vodka

This pie dough is incredibly easy to make! Go ahead and grab your food processor and a rolling pin and you are ready to get started!

This recipe will make you two pie crusts based on an 8-9 inch pie pan.

Process image 1 showing creaming butter and flour.
Process image 2 showing creaming butter and flour halfway through.
Process image 3 showing creaming butter and flour fully ready.
Process image 4 showing wrapped dough ready to go into the refrigerator.
  1. Add ingredients. In a food processor, quickly mix together the 2½ cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Then, add the 6 tablespoons of butter and the ⅔ cup of vegetable shortening.
  2. Pulse into chunks. Using the food processor, pulse the ingredients until the butter and shortening have become pea-sized chunks (*see note).
  3. Slowly incorporate the water. Add the ½ cup of ice water (or ice water and vodka combination, *see note) slowly in small amounts of 1 tablespoon at a time while pulsing the food processor. Continue until the mixture comes together and forms a dough (*see note).
  4. Divide your dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured working surface, divide it into two halves and form each half into a ball.
  5. Chill the dough. Flatten each ball into a 1-inch thick disk. Then, wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator for 2 hours (*see note).
  6. Roll out your dough. Once ready, remove the pie dough from the fridge and place it on a floured work surface. When rolling out the dough, use a rolling pin with gentle force. Start in the center of the disc and work your way outwards. Continue with your desired pie recipe.

This is the best pie dough for any of your favorite recipes! Use it with some raspberry or cherry pie filling to make a perfect fruit pie! Enjoy!

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

  • Using vodka in your pie dough is a fantastic baking hack! When baked, the vodka evaporates, leaving air pockets that result in a delightfully flaky and crisp crust.
  • If incorporating chilled vodka, use a combination of ¼ cup each of ice water and vodka. Start with only half of the liquid and drizzle more as necessary.
  • You can refrigerate your food processor bowl if needed, to keep your butter cold while you are pulsing it.
  • You'll know your dough has enough liquid added when it is moist, but not soggy.
  • Your dough needs to chill in the fridge for at least two hours and can be chilled for up to 5 days maximum.
  • To freeze or make ahead: The discs can be placed in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

❓ Is Pie Crust Better When Made With Butter Or Shortening?

Shortening has a higher melting point than butter does and helps it to retain its shape when baked. This makes it extremely beneficial if you are doing decorative latticework with your dough.

Shortening also helps to contribute to some tender and flaky attributes. Butter adds a delicious flavor and a sturdy structure.

I love to use both butter and shortening together so that I can get the best qualities from each!

For an all-butter crust, check out my butter pie crust recipe!

❓ Should You Chill Pie Crust Before Baking?

Yes! This is not a step that you should skip over. Chilling the dough helps to harden up the fat (the butter and shortening), which will help to maintain the structure of the crust while it is baking.

❓ What Does Adding Vodka To Pie Crust Do?

To start, the vodka adds moisture to the dough (same as the water). However, what is special about using vodka instead of just water is what happens while it is baking.

The alcohol in the vodka does not develop the gluten in the same way that water does because the proteins in flour don't actually bond with the alcohol. What this means is that you can add in the moisture needed to make the dough pliable without making it tough.

When the vodka evaporates during the baking process, it will leave a bunch of pockets, resulting in an extra flaky crust! Don't worry, the vodka won't alter the flavor at all and all of the alcohol will be baked out!

Tall image of pie dough in pan.

🥧 More Pie Recipes

  • Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars - These sweet bars use a cream cheese pie crust and are loaded with rich chocolate!
  • Pumpkin Pie - This fall-time classic is a crowd favorite every time!
  • Blueberry Pie - This pie is overflowing with delicious fresh blueberries!
  • Blackberry Cream Pie - Cream pie is always a wonderful treat! This blackberry cream pie is a perfect variation!
  • Cherry Pie Filling - This homemade cherry pie filling is perfect for so many different desserts!
  • Best Apples For Apple Pie - This helpful article will guide you to making the best apple pie possible!

Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe Card

Square image of pie dough in pan.
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5 from 2 reviews

Best Pie Dough

The best pie dough uses the perfect combination of butter, flour, shortening, and water for a flaky and tasty crust! This dough is fantastic for any pie, pie bars, tarts, or pastry! Add in some vodka for an extra flaky and crispy crust!
Author | Angela Latimer
Servings: 2 pie crusts (8-9 inch pie crust or 1 double crust)
Calories: 1474kcal
Prep 15 minutes minutes
Cooking 0 minutes minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours hours
Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
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Ingredients
 

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt (only 1 pinch of salt if using salted butter)
  • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter (chilled and cubed)
  • ⅔ cup vegetable shortening (chilled)
  • ½ cup ice water (or ¼ cup ice water / ¼ cup chilled vodka combination - *see note)

(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)

Help Us Out!If you love a recipe, be sure to come back and share your ratings. This helps future users, and allows me to continue sharing free recipes! Angela

Instructions
 

  • In a food processor, quickly mix together the flour and salt. Then, add the butter and the shortening.
  • Using the food processor, pulse the ingredients until the butter and shortening have become pea-sized chunks (*see note).
  • Add the ice water (or ice water and vodka combination, *see note) slowly in small amounts of 1 tablespoon at a time while pulsing the food processor. Continue until the mixture comes together and forms a dough (*see note).
  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured working surface, divide it into two halves and form each half into a ball.
  • Flatten each ball into a 1-inch thick disk. Then, wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator for 2 hours (*see note).
  • Once ready, remove the pie dough from the fridge and place it on a floured work surface. When rolling out the dough, use a rolling pin with gentle force. Start in the center of the disc and work your way outwards. Continue with your desired pie recipe.

Notes

  • Using vodka in your pie dough is a fantastic baking hack! When baked, the vodka evaporates, leaving air pockets that result in a delightfully flaky and crisp crust.
  • If incorporating chilled vodka, use a combination of ¼ cup each of ice water and vodka. Start with only half of the liquid and drizzle more as necessary.
  • You can refrigerate your food processor bowl if needed, to keep your butter cold while you are pulsing it.
  • You'll know your dough has enough liquid added when it is moist, but not soggy.
  • Your dough needs to chill in the fridge for at least two hours and can be chilled for up to 5 days maximum.
  • To freeze or make ahead: The discs can be placed in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 1474kcal (74%) | Carbohydrates: 119g (40%) | Protein: 16g (32%) | Fat: 104g (160%) | Saturated Fat: 39g (244%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Monounsaturated Fat: 37g | Trans Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 90mg (30%) | Sodium: 1176mg (51%) | Potassium: 178mg (5%) | Fiber: 4g (17%) | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 1050IU (21%) | Calcium: 37mg (4%) | Iron: 7mg (39%)
Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!
Course Dessert, Pie Recipes
Cuisine American
« Pecan Substitute
History of McDonald's Apple Pie »

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    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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  1. Léona Pelletier says

    April 06, 2023 at 7:20 pm

    Et si nous n'avons pas de vodka peut le remplacer par autre chose

    "And if we don't have vodka can replace it with something else"

    Reply
    • Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says

      April 06, 2023 at 8:59 pm

      Si vous n'avez pas de vodka ou si vous ne voulez pas consommer d'alcool, utilisez simplement de l'eau glacée.

      "If you don't have vodka, or don't want to use any alcohol, simply use ice cold water."

      Reply

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Hi there, I'm Angela

I am an avid vintage cookbook collector, cook, baker, and total foodie. I love sharing new, fun, creative recipes and great classic recipes, just like my Grandma used to make! Every recipe on BIWL is tested to ensure that cooks of any experience level can succeed.

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