Double-Crust Pie Pastry

Mama always said that homemade is better than frozen, and that's definitely true when it comes to this double-crust pie pastry. Even though homemade might take a little bit more effort than frozen or pre-made, this pie pastry is so easy to make that you won't regret the 10 minutes it takes to put it together.

You can chill this double pie crust recipe up to two days ahead of time, so it's the ideal task to get done before a big entertaining day like Thanksgiving. You'll impress everyone with your flaky homemade crust, and with two rounds available, you'll have enough dough to cut beautiful designs in the top of the crust while shaping the pie crust rim in different styles.

Learn how to make a double pie crust so you can make extra pies or do plenty of elaborate pie decorations.

Ingredients for Double Pie Crust

To make this pie crust, you'll need just a handful of ingredients:

• All-purpose flour: The base of the pie dough.
• Kosher salt: Enhances the flavor of the crust. If using salted butter, lessen the additional salt called for.
• Cold unsalted butter and cold shortening: This duo creates a pie crust with great flavor that's also easy to work with.
• Ice water: Ice (or very cold) water is key to keeping the fat in your pie dough chilled while mixing. This helps keep all of those flaky layers intact.

How To Make Double Pie Crust

Using a food processor means this pie dough comes together quickly, and remains mostly hands-off. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

• Step 1. Pulse flour and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and shortening; pulse to pea-sized bits. Sprinkle in 4 tablespoons ice water and pulse lightly, adding more if needed until dough clumps together.
• Step 2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead together. Divide in half and flatten into 2 disks. Wrap and chill.

Why Use Butter and Shortening for Pie Crust?

When it comes to working with pie dough, it can be tricky to keep the dough at a workable temperature. Warm dough can become sticky, resulting in a less flaky texture when baked, and cold dough will give you a real workout while rolling, while also cracking along the way.

Working with butter and shortening can be a game-changer. Our Test Kitchen found that a combination of butter and shortening provides the most workable texture and also great flavor.

The reason is simple: Shortening is less likely to melt than butter due to its higher melting point. This forgiving nature can make for a pie dough that's easier to work with, especially as the warmth of the room begins to soften your dough. And butter? Butter equals flavor. Combined, the two are unstoppable.

Tips for the Flakiest Pie Crust

Keep these tips in mind for the flakiest pie crusts:

• Mix your dry ingredients: For an even distribution of salt or any added flavorings, mix your dry ingredients first before cutting in the fat.
• Keep your fat cold: Cold butter and/or shortening is key to creating flaky layers. Those little pockets of fat melt in the oven, creating steam that lifts the layers of the pie crust as it bakes.
• Work quickly: Keeping the pie dough cold along the way is key, so work quickly to keep your fat from coming to room temperature.
• Don't be afraid to pause: If at any point in the process you find your dough is becoming warm, pop the whole mixture in the refrigerator until it cools down before proceeding.
• Use ice water: Ice water will help keep your dough cold while mixing.
• Don't be tempted to add more water: While it might be tempting to add more and more water, take a minute to check your dough's consistency first. It should look slightly crumbly, but hold together when clumped in the palm of your hand. Too much water will lead to a sticky dough that's difficult to work with.
• Avoid over-kneading your dough: Bring your dough together lightly once the water has been added, but use a gentle hand for the most tender crust.
• Wrap and chill: Chill your dough to cool it down and firm it up for rolling, while also relaxing any gluten that developed during mixing. This will help you roll out the dough without it shrinking back.

Can I Make This Double Pie Crust Without a Food Processor?

The beauty of using a food processor to make pie dough is that it's mostly hands-off. The blade distributes the fat evenly into the mix, while keeping the butter and shortening at a cooler temperature than your hands might.

If you don't feel like bringing out the food processor for this recipe, a pastry cutter can be a wonderful tool to cut in the butter without using your fingertips. Freezing and grating the butter is also another method that can bring success.

How To Store Double Pie Crust

Wrap and chill the pie dough disks for at least two hours, or up to two days for the freshest results.

If you're looking to get ahead of your holiday preparations, the dough can also be made, wrapped, and frozen for up to two months. You can also pre-roll your crusts, transfer to aluminum pie plates, wrap and freeze. Just defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using, and you'll have fresh pie crusts that are ready to fill.

Pie Recipes Perfect for Using Your Double Pie Crust

These pies all call for a flaky double pie crust. Note you can also use this double pie crust for two separate pies—leaving you with a world of possibilities.

• Skillet Caramel Apple Pie
• Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
• Easy Peach Pie
• Deep-Dish Ham Pot Pie
• Cherry Pie
• Salted Caramel-Apple Hand Pies
• Apple-Bourbon Pie
• Blueberry Pie
• Blackberry-Apple Butter Pie Bars
• Ultimate Apple Pie
• Peach-Blueberry Pie

Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.