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You are here: Home / Recipes / Pie Dough / Art of the Pie Dough Recipe

Art of the Pie Dough Recipe

01/03/2013 By Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie 34 Comments

Art of the Pie® Dough Recipe

For those who would like a print at home recipe. This is the Art of the Pie® dough that I have taught with great success to thousands of people who come to my Art of the Pie® Workshops. And yes, if you prefer an all butter crust, 14 Tablespoons will be just fine. Here’s the link for a full description of how to make.

A chubby disc ready for rolling. Photo by K Cline

A chubby disc ready for rolling. Photo by K Cline

Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Recipe: Art of the Pie® Basic Pie Dough

This is the Basic Pie Dough that I have taught to thousands at Art of the Pie workshops across the country. For more information on workshops please visit www.artofthepie.com.
Prep Time30 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Pastry
Cuisine: American
Author: Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie®

Ingredients

  • 2-1/2 cups 363g unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp 3g salt
  • *8 Tbs 112g of Kerrygold or other salted or unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon size pieces
  • *8 Tbs 112g leaf lard
  • 8 Tbs 118g of ice water (This is an average but sometimes the dough takes more or less.)
  • * For ALL BUTTER dough use 14 Tbs (196g of Kerrygold or other salted or unsalted butter for your total fat)
  • * For VEGAN dough use 8 Tbs Earth Balance Buttery Stick, plus 8 Tbs Earth Balance Shortening Stick for a total of 16 Tbs (224 g).

Instructions

  • Put all ingredients but the ice water in a large bowl.
  • With clean hands, blend the mixture together until it looks like coarse meal with some lumps in it that looks like cracker crumbs, peas, and almonds. The lumps make flakey pies.
  • Sprinkle ice water over mixture and stir lightly with a fork.
  • Squeeze a handful of dough together. Mix in a bit more water if it doesnʼt keep together.
  • Divide the dough in half and make two chubby disks about 5 inches across.
  • Wrap the disks separately in plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.
  • Take out one disk and put it on a well-floured board, pastry cloth, parchment paper or plastic wrap.
  • Sprinkle some flour onto the top of the disk. Thump the disk with your rolling pin several times.
  • Turn it over and thump the other side.
  • Sprinkle more flour onto the top of the crust if needed to keep the pin from sticking and roll the crust out from the center in all directions.
  • When it is an inch or so larger than your pie pan, brush off the extra flour on both sides. Fold the dough over the top of the pin and lay it in the pie pan carefully.
  • Donʼt worry if the crust needs to be patched together; just paint a little water where it needs to be patched and “glue” on the patch piece.
  • Put the filling in the pie and repeat the process with the other disk.

Notes

This recipe will make one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies for 9" pie pans. Leaf lard is available at some butcher shops, farmers markets and also by mail-order. *If you prefer an all-butter crust, use about 14 Tablespoons of Kerrygold or other salted or unsalted butter for your total fat. It will take about 5-7 minutes to put the dough together. Minimum chill time is 20 minutes but 1-2 hours is great. After chilling, dough discs may be frozen for up to 1 month. Be Happy and Make Pie!

 

Filed Under: Pie Dough, Recipes Tagged With: Art of the Pie, baking workshop, butter, Dough, Kate McDermott, leaf lard, Pie, pie dough, Recipe

34 Thoughts on Art of the Pie Dough Recipe
    Tom | Tall Clover Farm
    4 Jan 2013
    6:39am

    Go Kate Go! I just discovered a similar plugin– makes things so easy, and now I can start my Kate McDermott Awesome Pie section in my three ring binder. Kate where do you buy your leaf lard? I forgot. Thanks! Tom on Vashon.

    Reply
      Art of the Pie
      4 Jan 2013
      6:45am

      So sweet! I’ve been getting it at Dietrich’s Meats in Pennsylvania. Sea Breeze is on the island and usually has it at the Seattle farmers markets, too. You may want to give them a call and pick some up.

      Reply
        Tracy Riser
        24 Nov 2020
        5:02pm

        5 stars
        After many years of making Kate’s pies after her amazing class, I have developed a really nice relationship with an Etsy seller, The Lardist. He has high quality leaf lard from humanly raised pigs, is super responsive and a real joy to work with. https://www.etsy.com/shop/Lardist?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=182050983 cannot recommend him highly enough

        Reply
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    Reply
    vicky
    28 Sep 2015
    3:27pm

    Hi Kate,

    I just discovered your website! Great information on making pie crust. I made an apple pie today; however the pie crust cracked during the baking process. I used a combination of butter (Plugra) and leaf lard (2 ozs.). I made the dough in the food processor and then added more ice water as necessary. I chilled the dough and it rolled out beautifully. After I assembled the pie, I put it in the freezer for 15 mins; then into the hot oven (375). What would cause the crust to crack when it’s baking. This has happened more than once and don’t know what to do. I do use King Arthur flour (all purpose). Any suggestions would be appreciated.

    Thank you.

    Reply
    Jo A Ryal
    31 Jan 2018
    9:30am

    Dear Kate,
    My Grandmother made her pie crusts using lard. She mixed her crusts in a large wooden bowl full of flour. She knew just how to mix the dough without measuring. Thank you for giving the measurements. I was too small to understand how she always got it right.
    Jo Ryal

    Reply
      Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie
      31 Jan 2018
      11:25am

      Hi Jo- My pleasure! When I was young, I learned without measuring equipment too– a little of this, and a little of that. Kate

      Reply
    Sherill Javier
    28 Nov 2018
    12:15am

    Hi Kate,
    Thank you for your generosity by sharing your recipes. Do I have to use leaf lard or can I use all butter when making the crust?

    Reply
      Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie
      28 Nov 2018
      11:23am

      You are most welcome, and you most definitely can make the crust with all butter. 🙂

      Reply
    Joel P Dietz Jr
    5 Feb 2019
    6:47am

    5 stars
    Good Morning, Kate.
    So excited to have found your website and immediately ordered your book Art of the Pie.
    I just got 5 pounds of leaf lard from Fannie & Flo’s yesterday and I’m going with your recipe.
    Question, I know that the butter has to be very cold, what about the leaf lard?
    I’m assuming yes.
    Looking forward to hearing from you, and thank you for sharing your art.
    Joel (Jody) Dietz

    Reply
      Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie
      5 Feb 2019
      9:30am

      Welcome to Art of the Pie! I’m delighted that you are enjoying the book. I do keep my lard cold, too. A hint for ease: Pre-measure the lard into 4 oz/112g/1/2 cup packets and freeze them. You could do this with butter, too. Then when you are ready to bake, that part of the measuring is already done! 🙂

      Reply
    Thao
    7 Mar 2019
    10:51am

    I made this crust twice, and I love it! If I want to make it a day ahead, can I leave it in the fridge or should I freeze it? How early ahead of bake time do i remove it from the freezer?

    Reply
      Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie
      12 Mar 2019
      10:51pm

      Hi Thao- Thanks for checking in. I’m so glad that you like the crust. Making the dough a day ahead is just fine. It can be in the fridge for several days in fact. The dough may change to a bit of a gray color due to oxidation, but it will be fine. Leave it out on the counter until it is warmed up enough so roll out easily. If you are freezing the dough, let it defrost in the fridge overnight, and then set it on the counter until it is a rollable temp. Be Happy, Make Pie! Kate

      Reply
    Sue Kitska
    25 Jun 2019
    12:57pm

    I have used this wonderful recipe for a double 9 inch pie. How do I adjust the ingredients for a double 10 inch pie? Thank you!

    Reply
      Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie
      25 Jun 2019
      1:50pm

      Hi Sue- I’m delighted you like the dough! Making one and a half times the recipe would give you a generous amount with some left over for Little Tasties.

      Reply
    jessica garcia
    11 Sep 2019
    4:48pm

    Hi,
    Im so excited to begin making pie!
    Does gluten free flour substitute equivalent?

    Thank you!

    Reply
      Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie
      13 Sep 2019
      8:10am

      More or less, although be sure to check moisture as it can take more. You might also want to look at the FREE GF video series which takes you through the entire process of making, rolling, and baking.

      Reply
    Raelynn
    27 Nov 2019
    1:19pm

    If leaf lard is not available would vegetable shortening work?

    Reply
      Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie
      27 Nov 2019
      1:21pm

      Yes, it will. The Art of the Pie dough recipe calls for a total of 1 cup fat (224g). If using shortening, I suggest 1/2 butter/1/2 shortening to total 1 cup.

      Reply
    Claire Benckenstein
    9 Jun 2020
    5:22pm

    5 stars
    Thanks to your recipe, great instructions, and tips, I was finally successful at making a pie crust. I tried this crust with your blueberry pie recipe and it was delicious! Thank you, Kate! I’ve ordered your cookbook and look forward to receiving it soon.

    Reply
      Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie
      9 Jun 2020
      5:49pm

      This is wonderful, Claire! I’m so happy that you have had success.

      Reply
        Claire Carson Benckenstein
        15 Jun 2020
        12:13pm

        5 stars
        I am 3/4th of way through reading your cookbook after just receiving two days ago. What a treasure! I love how you intertwine your story, life lessons, and references to other chefs and cookbooks. Your reference to the White House Cookbook has now encouraged me to read my copy that I inherited from my mother-in-law. I’m afraid it’s just been sitting on a shelf till now.

        Thanks again for giving me pie confidence!

        Reply
          Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie
          18 Jun 2020
          9:24am

          You are so very welcome, Claire! It’s great that you will be dusting off the White House Cookbook, too.

          Reply
    Jodi Kahn
    14 Jun 2020
    3:26pm

    I have a quick question about the butter and lard for the pie crust — do you recommend freezing them first? (cutting them into small pieces first, and then freezing them?) or do you recommend just using cold butter from the fridge and leaf lard from the fridge? I’ve never used leaf lard before and I’m just wondering how to store it/and then use it when you’re making the dough.
    Thank you!

    Reply
      Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie
      15 Jun 2020
      12:00pm

      Hi Jodi- Cold butter and lard are just fine. In hot weather you might consider freezing and grating the butter. I will have even more info about this in book three, Pie Camp coming out on 10/6/2020

      Reply
    Katelyn Brinks
    20 Aug 2020
    9:27am

    Out of curiousity,
    can tallow be used in place of the lard?

    I’ve heard of tallow recipes. I’m just curious if you think it’d work for this one?

    Thanks!
    Katelyn

    Reply
      Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie
      26 Aug 2020
      11:24am

      I have not used tallow but I know that there are some who love it. Give it a try!

      Reply

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