Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter, and using your (hopefully very cold) fingers, work the butter chunks into the flour. (I use a squeezing and chomping method that I’ve found very effective, but anything works as long as your hands don’t get so warm that they’re melting the butter.) You can also use two knives to cut the butter into the flour, but that’s way less fun. Eventually, the mixture should resemble a coarse meal, and the largest pieces of butter should be the size of small peas.
2. Add the 1/4 cup of water, and using either a rubber spatula or your hands, stir until the dough starts to form clumps. Knead the dough gently until it comes together, adding the last tablespoon (or less) of water if needed.
3. Shape the dough into a flat disc and triple-wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 48). You can also freeze it for 15 minutes if you plan to bake immediately OR freeze, triple-wrapped and placed in a freezer bag, for up to 6 months.
4. Roll out the crust: Generously flour a cold clean surface. Roll the dough into a 12- or 13-inch circle using the roll-and-turn method, then carefully transfer to a buttered pie plate. (I find it easiest to gently fold the dough into quarters, then transfer and carefully unfold.) Trim any overhang that’s greater than 1 inch, then crimp the edges decoratively. Return the pie crust to the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Blind-bake (this is optional, but leads to a flakier, crispier crust, so I’m a big advocate): Preheat the oven to 400F. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork all over, then line it with a piece of buttered foil or parchment. Fill the pie with pie weights (or dried beans or rice, which is what I usually use). Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the pie weights and the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until the crust is golden-brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool before proceeding onward with your pie!