This is my recipe for the most flaky pie crust. It is crispy, golden, crunchy and oh so delicious! There are no soggy bottoms here. This pie is so light and flaky – like puff pastry, but so much simpler to make. Your flaky pie crust can be filled with any number of fillings, including citrus curds and snowy meringue, rich custard and fresh fruit or even chocolate cream.
If you are intimidated by pastry making, don’t be! Just remember to keep everything chilled. If the pastry starts to stick or feels too soft, simply chill it in the fridge for 15-30 minutes before continuing. It helps to work on a cool kitchen bench, and on a day that isn’t too hot.
The above baking times are for a fully-baked flaky pie crust, ready to be filled with a no-bake filling. If you plan to bake your pie filling, you will need to adjust the bake time accordingly.
This is only one of a range of classic baked recipes on my website – many based on classic recipes from across the globe. Check out the full range of recipes here!
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups (335g) plain flour, chilled, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup (27g) caster sugar
1 tsp (4g) kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight
200g unsalted, butter, cold but pliable
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp (100g) iced water
2 tsp (10ml) apple cider vinegar
Method
- Whisk the sugar, vinegar and salt into the iced water and store in freezer. Place flour in a large bowl. Cut butter into 1/2 inch cubes, and toss with flour mixture to break up the pieces. With fingertips, smear each cube flat. Stir in water, then knead dough until it comes together in a shaggy ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in fridge.
- On a floured work surface, roll dough into a roughly 25 by 37 cm rectangle. Fold into a book fold. Then fold in half once more to create a thick block. Dough temperature should register 18 – 21°C. If not, refrigerate briefly.
- Using as much flour as needed, roll into a 37cm circle (about 3mm thick). Dust off excess flour with a pastry brush. Transfer to a pie or tart tin with a removable base. Using kitchen scissors, trim the edge so that it overhangs by 3cm all around. Fold overhang under itself to create a thick border that sits on the top edge of the tin. Crimp or shape crust as desired. Wrap with plastic and freeze 60 mins (ideally two hours).
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 180°C (no fan). Line pie with crumpled baking paper, ensuring it covers the edges so they don’t burn. Fill with dried chickpeas (right to the top). Place on a baking tray and bake until fully set and golden around the edges, 60 to 75 minutes. Remove baking paper and weights. Add back to oven, and bake for a further 7-10 minutes to brown the bottom. Transfer to a cooling rack.
