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A pie crust rolled into a pie tray with a knife and some pie trim on the side.
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5 from 30 votes

Buttery, Flakey All-Purpose Pie Crust - Pate Brisee

Pate Brisee - Use this unsweetened, all-purpose pie crust for sweet and savoury pies or quiche. This can be made in one day but it's much better if made the day before.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Freezing + Resting 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Servings 1 pie (10"/25cm)
Cost $5/4€

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 205 g butter
  • 250 g all-purpose flour
  • 3 g salt
  • 40-55 g ice-cold water

Instructions

  • Cube the butter into tiny cubes. Place on a tray and freeze for 20-30 minutes. Also, place the flour and salt in a bowl in the fridge.
    Cold cubed butter on a tray.
  • In the food processor, add the cold cubed butter, then the flour and repeat until everything fits inside. Pulse 10-15 times or until the butter is about the size of a pea.
    (You can see in the picture I pulsed a little too finely, but it will still be okay).
    The pulsed butter and flour in a bowl.
  • Transfer the butter/flour mixture to a bowl. Fill a small measuring cup with ice and water. Place the butter/flour mixture on the scale and tare to 0. Start with 40g of cold water and mix with your hand.
    You want a smooth dough that's not sticky. If it's still too crumbly then add more water and if it's too sticky add more flour. Try not to overwork the dough but it should be smooth and hold together.
    Forming the pie crust in a bowl.
  • Once a nice dough has been formed, press into a flat disk. Make sure there are no cracks, otherwise you'll want to work it a little longer.
    Wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.
    The finished pie crust on a marble table.

To Blind Bake (Optional)

  • Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out on a large floured surface. You'll want to turn the dough a quarter after each roll and flip it occasionally to get an even layer.
    Roll the dough out until you reach about 3mm in size (a rather thick pie crust).
    The pie crust rolled out on the table to 3mm.
  • To lift the dough without breaking it, roll it up with the rolling pin and lift.
    Liting the dough with a rolling pie.
  • Lightly flour the cake pan and carefully lay the dough inside the pan. Make sure the edges touch the bottom but don't press too hard.
    Allow the edges to hang over the sides.
    The pie crust with edges still intact.
  • Trim the edges with a small knife to remove the excess pie crust.
    The pie crust with the edges trimmed.
  • Let rest in the fridge for one hour, uncovered.
    (You can also rest it overnight in the fridge, but then it should be wrapped with plastic wrap).
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
    Weigh the pie crust down with some beans in tin foil (this will prevent the dough from rising unevenly).
    Pie crust with beans and tin foil used as pie weights.
  • Bake for 20 minutes at 400°F/200°C.
    Remove the beans and tin foil and finish for another 5 minutes to seal the bottom of the pie.
    You can now fill this with whatever filling you'd like!
    The finished pie crust blind baked.

Notes

If you don't mind a shrinking and possibly cracked pie crust, you can cut the resting time of the dough to one hour. It won't look as nice but it will still be delicious.
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