There are few things that are better than a buttery homemade pie crust! Here is my recipe for a quick and easy make ahead homemade pie crust.
From Scratch
One of the things I love about cooking from scratch is that I know exactly what I am putting in my food. When you buy a pre made crust for example there will be the typical ingredients (butter, flour), but also a bunch of other preservatives and ingredients that you may not even know what they are.
Now I realize there things I will always need to buy at the store. But my theory is, if it is a reasonable thing to make in my own kitchen I will try. And by doing this slowly over time I have gained the confidence to whip up basic foods like a pie crust. Now that I know how to do it that is one less thing I have to rely on someone else or a store else to make!
It really is so simple.
Pie crust can seem like a really daunting thing. But they are so simple! It is as easy as squishing butter and flour together, sprinkling some cold water and putting it in the fridge until you need it.
I hope today I can show you just how easy it is to make a pie crust and give you the confidence to try it yourself! Really, there are no star bakers from the great British baking show in here. Just a average girl and her butter!
My recipe for quick and easy make ahead pie crusts:
1/2 cup (one stick) cold butter.
1 cup and 1 tbsp flour.
2-4 tbsp ice cold water. Yes ice cold.
Instructions:
Measure out flour
Cube butter into the bowl.
Squish, squish, squish, until it looks like little clumps of sand.
Put in iced cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, squishing the dough together as you add it in.
Squish together until it forms a ball
And there you have it!
Make ahead
One of the reason I am calling this the quick and easy make ahead pie crusts is because that is exactly what you can do! Rarely have I made a pie crust the day I need it. If you have 10 minutes in the kitchen, mix this up, wrap it in cling crap, and put it in the fridge until the next day (or two) then pull it out about 20 minutes before you need to roll it out and it will be soft enough to roll.
How far ahead can you make these pie crusts?
How far ahead can you make these? I wouldn’t do more than 2 days. In my experience even if they are rapped well they can dry out a little bit.
Gluten free alternatives?
I am theoretically a gluten free eater. There are some gluten free alternatives I like. Bob’s Red Mill has a gluten free mix from Bob’s Red Mill that I have made before and liked. It is a similar concept to this. Their gluten free flour mix and a bunch of butter and a little ice water is all you need. You mix it up and the same way, and I have found you can also make ahead of time also.
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Measuring bowls
Measureing cups
To make a quick and easy make ahead sourdough pie crust, you mix up the butter, flour together like I did here. Then you add some starter and let it ferment for up to 24 hours. Then refrigerate for 30 minutes and use when you are ready.
Will you consider making your own pie crust for your next gathering?
Leave a comment below and let me know if this tutorial was helpful!
Alyssa–I learned how to make pie crusts from my Mom. Back then, the shortening of choice was Chrisco solid shortening. We were also taught to use that in cooking class. I used butter after I grew up, but for the last 20 or so years, I use oil and make an oil crust. Your Grandma Helen made oil crust, as did her sisters. I think the flavor is a bit different and it doesn’t sound as homey as butter, but you put the crust between 2 sheets of waxed paper and roll it out and it makes pie crust really easy with the least amount of rolling, which can make pie crust tough. I’m sure your crust is amazing, but I’m just lazy enough to do oil crust.
Oil, really! I didn’t know that’s was used in homemade pie crusts! Cool. I am sure oil is super easy to use too. I love the too! Butter is so tasty and makes it so flaky!