An uncooked pie crust rolled out on a floured surface with a rolling pin alongside.

5 / 2 votes

Flaky and Tender Pie Crust

This flaky and tender pie crust is an incredibly easy, never fail pie crust recipe that boasts butter galore for flakiness as well as cream cheese for tenderness.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 248

Ingredients

▢ 1 1/3 cups plus 4 teaspoons pastry flour* (or substitute bleached all-purpose flour), plus more for the work surface
▢ 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
▢ 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
▢ One package cream cheese, chilled and cut into quarters
▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen and cut into 1/2-inch dice
▢ 2 tablespoons heavy cream
▢ 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

US - Metric

Instructions

In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder and process until blended.
Add the cream cheese and process until a coarse dough forms.
Add the butter and pulse just until crumbs of dough that are the size of peanuts form.
Add the cream and vinegar and pulse until the chunks of butter are the size of peas.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently press the dough until it holds together in a smooth, flat disk.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes before rolling it out according to your recipe.

Notes

Pastry Flour Substitute

If you don’t have pastry flour, to achieve the same tenderness in your pie crust, use a blend of bleached all-purpose flour and cake flour. For every cup of pastry flour required, use 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup cake flour.

Nutrition