2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
8 ozs unsalted butter, very cold, cut into cubes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
6 - 8 Tbs ice water
All butter pastry crust for sweet and savory Pies (Pate Brisee) enough for top and bottom crust.
Put flour, sugar, salt into food processor and pulse a couple seconds to mix. Add half the butter and pulse several times. Add rest the butter and pulse 6-8 ties until largest butter pieces are pea sized. Sprinkle the mixture with about ¼ cup ice water and pulse again. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time until the dough just barely holds together.
Dough will be ready of you pinch some together and it stays together. Be cautious with the amount of water added. Too much yields a tough dough.
Carefully empty dough onto a clean, dry, flat surface. Gather into a mound and push down on the dough with heel of your hand to flatten butter pieces.
Divide dough into two even sized mounds. Form each into a disk without over-working. Sprinkle each disk with flour, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Remove one disk from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften slightly. Roll out into a 12” circle; about ⅛’ thick. As you roll out, check to see if it’s sticking to surface below. Add more flour if necessary. Place in 9” pie plate. Press dough down so it lines bottom and sides of pan. Use scissors to trim dough to within ½” of edge of pan.
Add filling to the pie.
Roll out second disk of dough as before. Gently place on top of filling in pie. Pinch top and bottom firmly together. Trim excess dough. Fold dough over and flute edge. Score top of crust to allow steam to escape.
How to pre-bake a pie crust:
If your recipe calls for a pre-baked crust as many custard pies do, follow all the steps until you get to the add filling part. Freeze crust for ½ hour which keeps crust from slipping down the sides.
Preheat oven to 350*. Line pie crust with parchment paper or foil and weight down with pie weights. Bake with weights for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully remove pie weights. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes until golden in color. Cool completely before filling. Edges may need tenting with foil to prevent burning.