Vegetarian Classic Pie Dough
There is something deeply satisfying about making pie dough from scratch, and this version is the kind of foundational recipe that will serve you for years. The method is all about keeping things cold and working quickly — chilled butter cubes get pressed into the flour until the mixture looks shaggy and uneven, and that rough, crumbly texture is exactly what you want. Those irregular butter pieces melt in the oven and create the flaky, tender layers that make a homemade crust so much better than anything from a box. Ice water is added gradually so the dough just barely comes together, which keeps the gluten relaxed and the final crust light rather than tough. With just five simple ingredients — flour, sugar, salt, butter, and water — there is nothing hidden and nothing to second-guess, making it a naturally straightforward choice for anyone cooking without meat or animal byproducts beyond dairy. The dough rests in the refrigerator to firm up and relax, which also makes it much easier to roll out cleanly. Whether you are filling it with fruit, custard, or a savory vegetable tart, this crust is the kind of reliable base that makes the whole pie worth making.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
- 6–8 tbsp ice water
Instructions
- 1
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined.
- 2
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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