Homemade Basic Pie Crust

All butter homemade pie crust. Makes a double, very flaky crust.

Prep Time 10

Chill Time 4

Servings pie crusts

Before you begin, put the butter in the freezer and set some water in a bowl with a couple of ice cubes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Zest the lemon, if using, into the bowl and whisk.
Cut the butter into thin slices, I like to do this with the slicer side of a cheese grater, and add it to the flour, briefly mix it with a spoon or your fingers to cover the butter with flour.
If you used the slicer, now use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until the butter is in about kidney bean-sized pats. If you used a knife your butter chunks are probably larger, use a pastry knife to help you cut in the butter.
Add the water from the iced water prepared earlier, drizzling it all around, and, if using, add the vanilla into a spot where there’s some water. Use a rubber spatula to stir it together.
Use your hands to bring the dough together by grabbing it and folding it over itself, then pressing down giving it a gentle squeeze , over and over until the dough comes together into a shaggy ball.
If you like layers, set the pie crust on a floured counter and press it out into a flat disk. Slice it into quarters then stack the quarters and press it down again into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap, use a rolling pin to flatten it into an even layer and roll the edges on the counter like a wheel to smooth them over.
Chill for 2 hours or up to 2 days. See above “how to bake a pie crust” for baking times and how to.

Makes enough for 1 double pie crust.
To make enough for just the bottom crust or a 9 inch round galette, halve the recipe.