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CanonicalApproved

Pie Dough

A pastry dough made to bake into a tender, flaky pie crust.

2026-06-10 Reviewed6 Sources0 Starts0 Tests0 Safety

Rolling out easy, all-butter pie dough on a marble countertop.Credit: Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik · Easy Pie Dough (Crust)Dev reference

Community Recipes

Public community recipes are kept separate from reviewed starting paths.

CommunityApproved

Easy Pie Dough (Crust)

This foolproof all-butter pie dough recipe uses a food processor to make a dough that's easy to work with and bakes up beautifully, every time.

Medium2 hr 20 min

How This Dish Works

Mechanics, choices, and evidence-backed explanations.

Why it works

How it usually works

Most versions cut fat into flour, add liquid just enough to bind, rest the dough, then roll and bake it as needed.

Pie dough is a foundation preparation where fat handling, flour hydration, mixing, chilling, and rolling determine texture. The dish page should stay about dough behavior, while recipes carry exact ratios and tools. Choose versions by flakiness, tenderness, butter or shortening preference, food-processor use, and whether the dough is for sweet or savory pies.

Techniques

Techniques that shape the dish outcome.

Refrigerate

Hold food cold so it can rest, firm, chill, or wait for the next step.

1 linked recipe

Success Criteria

Reviewed outcome cues and success markers for this dish.

Why it works

What to aim for

Good pie dough rolls without cracking, bakes tender and flaky, and tastes buttery or rich without toughness.

Failure Troubleshooter

Known symptoms, causes, during-cooking fixes, and next-time prevention.

CautionEasy Pie Dough (Crust)

Avoid dry flour patches

The dough will not come together without extra water.

The butter was not cut in enough to coat the flour before hydration.

Next time

Pulse until the dough just starts to clump before adding the remaining flour and water.

During cooking

Add water sparingly and press the dough together; avoid kneading it smooth.

Source: Easy Pie Dough (Crust)

CautionEasy Pie Dough (Crust)Step 1

Tough or Leathery Crust

The coating fries up thick or tough instead of thin and crisp.

It's also got a relatively high water content (around 15–17%), which can cause excess gluten to form and turn your crust leathery if you aren't careful.

Next time

Don't cut it in quite enough, and you need to add extra water to absorb the excess dry flour, so you get the over-formation of gluten, and a tough, leathery crust.

Source: Easy Pie Dough (Crust)

Contextual Substitutions

Dish-specific substitutions with expected changes and cautions.

Swap

Water to Milk

5 cups (1.2L) water, milk, or chicken stock or vegetable stock (see note)

Expected change: The source lists this as an alternative in the same ingredient row.

Acceptable

Source: Smooth and Creamy Polenta

Swap

Water to Chicken Stock

5 cups (1.2L) water, milk, or chicken stock or vegetable stock (see note)

Expected change: The source lists this as an alternative in the same ingredient row.

Acceptable

Source: Smooth and Creamy Polenta

Swap

Water to Vegetable Stock

5 cups (1.2L) water, milk, or chicken stock or vegetable stock (see note)

Expected change: The source lists this as an alternative in the same ingredient row.

Acceptable

Source: Smooth and Creamy Polenta

Swap

Unsalted Butter to Olive Oil

2 tablespoons (1 ounce; 30g) unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more oil to sear or grill, if desired

Expected change: The source lists this as an alternative in the same ingredient row.

Acceptable

Source: Smooth and Creamy Polenta

Swap

Unsalted Butter to Plus More Oil to Sear

2 tablespoons (1 ounce; 30g) unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more oil to sear or grill, if desired

Expected change: The source lists this as an alternative in the same ingredient row.

Acceptable

Source: Smooth and Creamy Polenta

Swap

Unsalted Butter to Grill

2 tablespoons (1 ounce; 30g) unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more oil to sear or grill, if desired

Expected change: The source lists this as an alternative in the same ingredient row.

Acceptable

Source: Smooth and Creamy Polenta

Swap

Unsalted Butter to If Desired

2 tablespoons (1 ounce; 30g) unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more oil to sear or grill, if desired

Expected change: The source lists this as an alternative in the same ingredient row.

Acceptable

Source: Smooth and Creamy Polenta

Swap

Water to Broth

1 ½ cup water or broth

Expected change: The source lists this as an alternative in the same ingredient row.

Acceptable

Source: CILANTRO LIME RICE (CHIPOTLE COPYCAT)

Swap

Water to Milk

water or milk, for brushing

Expected change: The source lists this as an alternative in the same ingredient row.

Acceptable

Source: Fresh Apple Cinnamon Scones

Swap

All-purpose flour to King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure For Measure Flour

1 1/2 cups (180g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour

Expected change: The source lists this as an alternative in the same ingredient row.

Acceptable

Source: Apple Cider Snickerdoodles

Swap

All-purpose flour to King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure For Measure Flour

1 1/2 cups (180g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour

Expected change: The source lists this as an alternative in the same ingredient row.

Acceptable

Source: Quick and Easy Vanilla Cake

Source and Cultural NotesSources, origin declarations, and evidenced notes for this dish.

Apple Cider Snickerdoodles
Article
View source
CILANTRO LIME RICE (CHIPOTLE COPYCAT)
Article
View source
Easy Pie Dough (Crust)
Article
View source
Fresh Apple Cinnamon Scones
Article
View source
Quick and Easy Vanilla Cake
Article
View source
Smooth and Creamy Polenta
Article
View source

Source declarations

Adapted from sourceReuse review: Unchecked

Recipe: Easy Pie Dough (Crust)

Imported from the Serious Eats page for dev review.

Source: Easy Pie Dough (Crust)

Additional EvidenceReviewed claims not already shown in the source notes.

Apple Cider Snickerdoodles
Article
View source
CILANTRO LIME RICE (CHIPOTLE COPYCAT)
Article
View source
Easy Pie Dough (Crust)
Article
View source
Fresh Apple Cinnamon Scones
Article
View source
Quick and Easy Vanilla Cake
Article
View source
Smooth and Creamy Polenta
Article
View source

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