Easy All-Butter Pie Crust

1.) Add 1 1/2 cups flour and the rest of your ingredients to a medium mixing bowl, stirring until combined. 

2.) Cut your cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes and scatter on top of dry mixture. Use a fork to lightly coat the butter in your dry ingredients. 

3.) Using your hands (or a pastry blender) work the mixture until it has a course, mealy texture. It will take a few minutes to get it to the right consistency, almost like damp sand. 

4.) Add the remaining 1 cup flour and work the butter and flour together for another 20 seconds or so, until it resembles crumbly pea-sized pieces. 

5.) Sprinkle your ice cold water over your mixture, starting with 4 tablespoons and adding more as you need it. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself until the crumbles begin to form larger clusters. If the dough holds together when pinched, it's ready. If it falls apart, add more water. Continue to press until the dough comes together. 

6.) Once formed, removed dough from your mixing bowl and place on a clean, dry surface. Work it into a ball, and then cut that ball in half. Form each half into discs and wrap each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. This crust can be frozen for up to three months; let thaw before using. 

1.) When ready to use, remove the discs from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for five minutes. 

2.) Lightly flour your countertop, top of the dough and rolling pin, and roll out the dough to a 12-inch circle, 1/8 inch thick. Do not let the dough stick to the counter, add sprinkles of flour if necessary. 

3.) Check the size of your crust by inverting your pie dish over the dough round. It should be larger than the dish so that you have excess to work with when crimping the edges. Transfer the round to your dish by rolling the dough around rolling pin then unrolling over the dish.

4.) Gently press your dough down into the dish, being careful not to rip or pull. Cut the edges of the dough within 1/2 inch of the edge of the dish. 

5.) Fold the edge of the dough under itself to make a thicker border, and crimp the edges using your fingers. 

6.) If making a double crust pie, do not crimp the edges until you've covered the pie with your second crust. 

1.) Heat the oven to 425 degrees F, and place a baking sheet on a middle oven rack.

2.) Fit your pie crust to your dish, and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. It should be firm to the touch. Pierce the bottom and sides with a fork to prevent air pockets from forming. 

3.) Line the crust with a double thickness of aluminum foil, making sure the foil is all the way to the edges of the bottom of the pan.

4.) Fill the foil with pie weights or dried beans, making sure they're distributed all across the bottom and partly up the sides of the foil-lined crust. This ensures that the crust holds its shape during baking and doesn't slump in the pan or bubble up.

5.) Bake until the edges of the crust are starting to turn golden and the bottom of the crust has lost its translucent "raw" look, 10 to 12 minutes (carefully pull up the edge of the foil to take a peek). 

6.) If you'll be baking the crust once it's filled, like a pumpkin pie, bake the crust until the bottom is just beginning to color, 6 to 8 minutes. If you're making a cream pie or refrigerated pie, bake it until the entire crust is golden brown, about 15 minutes longer.

7.) Coat entire crust with an egg wash (one egg mixed with 1 tbsp water) to stop pie filling from creating a wet crust. This technique will eliminate "soggy bottoms." Return the crust to the oven until the egg wash is dry and shiny, about 3 minutes.

8.) If you're making a cream pie or icebox pie, let the crust cool completely before proceeding with your recipe. For pies that will go back in the oven, like lemon meringue pies or quiches, the crust can still be warm when you add the filling.