Flaky Buttermilk Pie Crust

5 from 5 votes

Making a tender, flaky, and buttery pie crust at home is super easy! This flaky buttermilk pie crust is my go-to recipe. This recipe makes 2 disks for a 9-inch pie.

Prep Time15

Cook Time0

Total Time15

Course: Essentials

Cuisine: American

Servings: pie crusts

Calories: 1431kcal

Author: Tania

Equipment

Food processor
Pastry blender and cutter if making by hand
Mixing bowls if making by hand
Long rolling pin
Silicone pastry mat

Ingredients

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
spooned and leveled
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup VERY cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (2 standard sticks) freeze butter overnight
⅓ cup cold buttermilk plus 1 tablespoon plus more as needed

Instructions

By Hand

In a large bowl, whisk flour, salt, and sugar until well evenly combined.
Add the VERY COLD cubes of butter (freeze it beforehand, see notes). Using a pastry blender tool, cut the butter into the flour until you get pea-sized crumbles. Note: “Cutting butter into flour” means to break up the butter into small pieces until fully coated and incorporated.
Then, rub larger chunks of butter into the flour between your thumb and the tip of your fingers, breaking it up into pea-size crumbles or smaller. Tip: work the dough quickly so the butter stays cold.
Add ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon of cold buttermilk. Mix with your hands, tightly pressing the dough, until a manageable dough forms. The dough will look very shaggy and crumbly first, but will come together as you press. If it is still too crumbly, add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed.
Transfer dough to a clean surface and press a few more times until it comes together. Divide the dough in half and form 2 flat disks. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before using.

Using Food Processor

In a large 8-cup food processor, pulse flour, salt, and sugar until evenly combined.
Add the VERY COLD cubed butter and pulse a few times until a pea-size coarse meal forms.
Add ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon of cold buttermilk. Run the food processor for several seconds continuously or until a dough starts to form. At first, it will look like it's not coming together, but it will. Stop as soon as a dough forms. Note: If it still looks crumbly after several seconds, add more buttermilk as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Transfer to a clean surface and divide the dough in half. Press the dough and form two flat disks. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before using.

Notes

This recipe makes two pie crusts for a 9-inch pie, which is great for pies that call for a bottom and top crust.
Make sure to use VERY COLD butter, so freeze the butter the day before using. Also, use cold buttermilk. When baked, the cold pieces of butter encrusted in the dough release steam, creating little pockets of air, which is what creates flaky layers.
Use cold buttermilk, so leave it in the fridge until you need to use it.
To make rolling easier, roll the dough into relatively flat disks. Also, flour your working surface and the rolling pin generously, otherwise, the dough could stick and break.
Crumbly dough? At first, the dough will look very crumbly and shaggy. If you’re making it by hand, press the dough together tightly until it comes together - if it’s still crumbly, add 1 tablespoon of buttermilk at a time. In the food processor, pulse continuously for a few seconds until a dough forms - if not, add 1 tablespoon of buttermilk at a time.
Tips for rolling the dough: Work on a generously floured surface, and flour the rolling pin too. You want to avoid
Make ahead and freezing: Refrigerate for up to 5 days (with plastic wrap) or freeze for up to 2 months (with plastic wrap and aluminum foil). If freezing, thaw overnight.

Disclaimer: Nutritional values (2 pie crusts) are approximates only.

Nutrition