The Best Pastry Crust

This is hands-down the best pastry crust you will ever make. Forget the shortening; this recipe calls for 14 tablespoons of butter for a light, flaky, buttery taste. This pastry crust is perfect for all your fruit and custard tarts and pies. I also use it for empanadas and pot pies.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 15 mins
• Calories: 153 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour, or more as needed
• 14 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup chilled water, or more as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles fine cornmeal. Pour in water slowly; knead dough into a firm ball.

Step 2

Pour in additional water as needed if dough is too dry or additional flour if too moist. Divide batter into equal halves. Roll out dough halves into rounds on a lightly floured work surface using a lightly floured rolling pin to desired thickness.

Step 3

Press one round into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Use the other round as a top crust or for a separate bottom crust. Bake according to desired filling instructions.