
Few things in baking are as satisfying as a homemade pie crust that shatters into buttery, flaky layers with every slice. This dough comes together with just five pantry staples — flour, sugar, salt, butter, and ice water — so there's nothing hidden or unexpected in the mix. The real secret is keeping the butter ice-cold and leaving those pea- and almond-sized chunks intact as you work it in; that uneven texture is exactly what creates the flaky layers you're after. Drizzling the ice water in slowly and stopping the moment the dough holds together keeps the crust tender rather than tough. After a rest in the refrigerator, the dough rolls out beautifully and eases into the pan without tearing. Whether you're making a sweet fruit pie or a savory quiche, this is the kind of foundational recipe you'll come back to every single time.
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Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined.
Add the chilled butter cubes to the flour mixture and work them in with a pastry cutter or your fingertips, pressing each cube flat and breaking it into smaller pieces, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized and almond-sized butter pieces still visible throughout — this uneven texture is what creates flaky layers.
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