Best Butter and Lard Pie Crust Recipe | Flaky Homemade Crust for Beginners
This ultra-flaky pie crust combines butter for flavor and lard for tender, lofty layers, with an easy, chill-focused method ideal for beginners. Makes a reliable double crust that rolls out smoothly and bakes up crisp.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (115 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup (100 g) cold leaf lard or high-quality rendered lard, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 6–9 tablespoons ice water
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water (optional, for egg wash)
- Sugar for sprinkling or flaky salt (optional)
Instructions
Instructions
- Chill the butter and lard until very firm; keep the bowl and flour cold and prepare ice water with the vinegar.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Cut in the cold butter and lard until you have a mix of pea-sized pieces with some flat shards.
- Drizzle in about 6 tablespoons of the ice water with vinegar, tossing with a fork, and add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together with light pressure without feeling wet.
- Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and perform a brief frasage by pressing small portions forward once to create streaks, then gather into a rough mass without kneading.
- Divide the dough into two equal disks about 1 inch thick, wrap tightly, and chill for 1 to 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk from the center outward, rotating frequently, to a 12-inch round about 1/8 inch thick; dust off excess flour, fit into a 9-inch pie plate without stretching, and trim to a 1-inch overhang.
- For a double-crust pie, add filling, roll the second disk, drape over, trim to match, tuck edges together, crimp, cut vents, and brush with egg wash; sprinkle sugar for sweet pies if desired.
- For a single blind-baked crust, chill the shaped crust 20 to 30 minutes, prick the base, line with parchment, fill with pie weights, bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes, remove weights, then bake 8 to 12 minutes more for partial blind or until golden for fully blind.
Notes
Makes one double crust for two 9-inch rounds or one deep-dish crust with lattice; halve for a single crust. Keep everything cold to preserve flakes, and avoid over-hydrating or over-mixing. A few dry spots will hydrate during rest. If cracking occurs while rolling, patch with scraps and a touch of water. For soggy-bottom prevention, blind-bake for custards or juicy fillings and bake on a preheated metal sheet on a lower rack. Variations: all-butter (use 1 cup butter), all-lard, whole wheat blend, herb and pepper, sweet crust boost, or replace 2 tablespoons water with cold vodka.