Recipes & Cooking Desserts & Baking Pies The Perfect Single Pie Crust Recipe 3.7 (57) 4 Reviews Butter-flavored shortening also works well in this basic recipe. By Sheena Chihak, RD Sheena Chihak, RD Sheena Chihak is a registered dietitian, former food editor and current edit lead for BHG with over 17 years of writing and editing experience for both print and digital. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process and Sarah Martens Sarah Martens Sarah Martens is the Senior Editor overseeing food at Better Homes & Gardens digital. She has been with the BHG brand for more than 10 years. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on February 1, 2024 Recipe tested by Lynn Blanchard Recipe tested by Lynn Blanchard Lynn Blanchard is the Director of the Des Moines, Iowa-based Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen. As Test Kitchen Director, she ensures that all recipes that appear in Dotdash Meredith publications are thoroughly tested by staff culinary specialists in conditions that replicate home kitchens. Learn more about the Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Brie Goldman. Food Styling: Holly Dreesman. Prop Styling: Gabe Greco Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 8 Jump to Nutrition Facts You can never go wrong with a buttery, flaky piecrust—especially one that's homemade! Don't be intimidated by making your own piecrust! In just a few steps you can learn how to make flaky piecrust that will melt in your mouth and be far more popular than any store-bought crust. Follow along with our flaky piecrust recipe, then choose your own filling to make a delicious homemade pie. How to Make Pie Crust in a Food Processor Prepare the recipe as written, except place steel blade in food processor bowl. Add flour, shortening, butter, and salt. Cover and process with on/off turns until most of mixture resembles cornmeal, but a few larger pieces remain. With food processor running, quickly add 3 tablespoons water through feed tube. Stop processor as soon as all water is added; scrape down sides. Process with 2 on/off turns (mixture may not all be moistened). Remove dough from bowl; shape into a ball. How to Make a Baked Pastry Shell Prepare the pie crust, except generously prick bottom and sides of pastry in pie plate with a fork. Prick all around where bottom and sides meet. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil. Bake in a 450 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 5 to 6 minutes more or until golden. Cool on a wire rack. Make-Ahead Pie Crust Recipe Prepare and bake the single pie crust. Cool pastry shell. Wrap in foil and place in freezer container or bag. Seal, label, and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw overnight before using. Ingredients 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt ¼ cup shortening 1/4 cup butter ¼ - ⅓ cup cold water Directions Brie Goldman In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening and butter until pieces are pea-size. Brie Goldman Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening dough, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until the mixture begins to come together. Gather dough into a ball and knead gently until it holds together. Brie Goldman On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Use light, even strokes to roll dough from center to edges into a 12-inch circle. Test Kitchen Tip: If dough sticks to the rolling pin or work surface, sprinkle it with additional flour. Brie Goldman Fold pastry into fourths and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Unfold and ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Center the pastry so an even amount is hanging over all sides. Lightly press the pastry over the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Brie Goldman Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry even with the plate's edge. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry. Fill and bake as directed in individual recipes. Makes 8 servings. Test Kitchen Tip: To create a pretty fluted edge, place a finger against the inside edge of the pastry. Using the thumb and index finger of your other hand, press the pastry around your finger. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 194 Calories 12g Fat 18g Carbs 2g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 193.8 % Daily Value * Total Fat 12.4g 16% Saturated Fat 6.3g 31% Cholesterol 18.8mg 6% Sodium 178.4mg 8% Total Carbohydrate 17.9g 7% Dietary Fiber 0.6g 2% Total Sugars 0.1g Protein 2.5g 5% Vitamin D 0mcg 0% Vitamin C 0mg 0% Calcium 5.4mg 0% Iron 1.1mg 6% Potassium 26.8mg 1% Fatty acids, total trans 0.2g Vitamin D 0IU Alanine 0.1g Arginine 0.1g Ash 0.6g Aspartic acid 0.1g Caffeine 0mg Carotene, alpha 0mcg Choline, total 5.4mg Copper, Cu 0mg Cystine 0.1g Energy 811kJ Fluoride, F 2.1mcg Folate, total 43.1mcg Glutamic acid 0.8g Glycine 0.1g Histidine 0.1g Isoleucine 0.1g Leucine 0.2g Lysine 0.1g Methionine 0g Magnesium, Mg 5.3mg Manganese, Mn 0.2mg Niacin 1.4mg Phosphorus, P 27mg Pantothenic acid 0.1mg Phenylalanine 0.1g Phytosterols 0.8mg Proline 0.3g Retinol 47.6mcg Selenium, Se 8mcg Serine 0.1g Theobromine 0mg Threonine 0.1g Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.2mg Tryptophan 0g Tyrosine 0.1g Valine 0.1g Vitamin A, IU 177.3IU Vitamin A, RAE 48.5mcg Vitamin B-12 0mcg Vitamin B-6 0mg Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 1.9mcg Water 6.6g Zinc, Zn 0.2mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.