bakingglutenfreememories A really good pie makes life better. The fillings can be endless and pie is equally tasty whether sweet or savory. The crust often is overlooked but usually determines the quality. Most use lard, butter, or oil for shortening. However, my absolute favorite is a buttery, flaky pie crust.
I have tested out gluten-free pie crust recipes dozens of times over years in order to get the desired buttery and flaky texture. This flaky pie crust is my favorite of all the recipes I’ve tested. It is also really easy to make and you don’t need to have pastry chef skills.
How to Make Flaky Pie Crust
1. In a medium sized bowl, measure in the flour and salt and stir. Cut the butter in cubes and add into the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to chop up the butter until it turns into crumbs.
2. Pour in the cold water and vinegar. Use your hands to mix the dough together, roughly forming it into a ball.
3. Place the dough in a large plastic bag with a seal and shape the dough into a flat disc.
4. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or freeze the dough for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil a 9” pie pan.
6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator or freezer and roll the dough out in between 2 sheets of parchment paper until the dough is between about 1/8” and 1/16”. (see photo)
7. Remove the top parchment paper and hold the pie pan upside down over the dough while gently lifting up the parchment and dough and placing it in the pie pan. Make sure the dough is pressed against the pie pan and fill in any cracks with extra dough. Shape the top ridge of the crust as desired. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the dough several times.
8. Place the pie pan on a cookie sheet to avoid any pieces falling to the bottom of the oven. Par-bake the pie for 20 minutes before filling and continuing to bake as the pie recipe calls for. If you are making a no-bake pie filling, fully bake the pie crust for a total of 40-45 minutes. The crust will be ready when the center is a light golden brown.
Storage Notes and Tips
- This recipe makes 1 full pie crust for a 9” pan or makes enough for 4 hand pies
- Once fully baked, this crust stores well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
- For a vegan butter substitute, I suggest using Miyoko’s Creamery European Style Cultured Vegan Butter
Flaky Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1½ cups King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour (218g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- ¼ cup + 2-3 teaspoons ice cold water (32ml +2-3 tsp)
- ½ teaspoon white vinegar
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, measure in the flour and salt and stir together. Cut the cold butter in cubes and add into the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to chop up the butter until it resembles crumbs.
- Next, add in the cold water and vinegar. Use your hands to mix the dough together, roughly forming it into a ball and adding the extra teaspoons of water as needed. (Add only enough water for the dough to stick together, too much water will make a chewy crust)
- Place the dough in a large plastic bag with a seal and shape the dough into a flat disc.
- Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or freeze the dough for 15 minutes. Both methods work well, though I prefer to refrigerate my pie dough.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 9'' pie pan.
- Then remove the dough from the refrigerator or freezer and roll the dough out in between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it until the dough is between about 1/8'' and 1/16'' thickness.
- Remove the top parchment paper and hold the pie pan upside down over the dough while gently lifting up the parchment and dough and placing it into the pie pan. Make sure the dough is pressed against the pie pan so there are no gaps. Fill any cracks by pressing in extra dough and shape the top ridge of the crust as desired. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the dough several times.
- Place the pie pan on a cookie sheet to avoid any pieces falling to the bottom of the oven. Par-bake the crust for 20 minutes before filling the pie and continuing to bake as your recipe calls for. If you are making a no-bake filling, fully bake the pie crust for 40-45 minutes. The crust will be ready when the center turns to a light golden brown.
