Basic Pie Dough Recipe

"This is what is known as a 3-2-1 dough because it’s made up of 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, and 1 part water (by weight). There is a bit of sugar for a slightly sweet crust, but you could also take out the sugar and use the dough with a savory filling (in a tart, for example). Try it with our Brown Butterscotch Pie or Tart Cranberry Pie. What to buy: It’s worth the time to make this dough from scratch—it’ll lend a butteriness to your pie. (Here are some pointers on how to do it right.) But if you’re short on time, just get the best store-bought crust you can find. For some recipes, you’ll need pie weights to line the crust so that it doesn’t puff up while cooking. If you don’t have pie weights, just use some dried beans. Game plan: The dough can be made and baked up to 1 day ahead. For quicker prep, you can make the dough in a food processor. Add all of the dry ingredients and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it’s in pea-size pieces. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of ice water and pulse again. Add more ice... read moreThis is what is known as a 3-2-1 dough because it’s made up of 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, and 1 part water (by weight). There is a bit of sugar for a slightly sweet crust, but you could also take out the sugar and use the dough with a savory filling (in a tart, for example). Try it with our Brown Butterscotch Pie or Tart Cranberry Pie. What to buy: It’s worth the time to make this dough from scratch—it’ll lend a butteriness to your pie. (Here are some pointers on how to do it right.) But if you’re short on time, just get the best store-bought crust you can find. For some recipes, you’ll need pie weights to line the crust so that it doesn’t puff up while cooking. If you don’t have pie weights, just use some dried beans. Game plan: The dough can be made and baked up to 1 day ahead. For quicker prep, you can make the dough in a food processor. Add all of the dry ingredients and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it’s in pea-size pieces. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of ice water and pulse again. Add more ice water if the dough seems too dry, shape it into a disk, wrap it up, and refrigerate...."