How to Make the Flakiest Buttermilk Pie Crust

This easy buttermilk pie crust is perfectly flaky and flavorful. It's my go-to pie crust recipe for most pies. I also use this pie dough recipe for hand pies and empanadas. It bakes up tender and flaky every single time. 

I spent many years searching for the perfect pie crust recipe. Now I have two main pie crust recipes that I use over and over. This one and my All-Butter Pie Crust. 

Both of these pie dough recipes can be made in a mixing bowl OR in a food processor. 

I almost always use the food processor when I'm making pie dough just because it's so easy. 

What You'll Love About This Buttermilk Pie Crust Recipe

• Easy: This pie crust is so easy to make. 
• Flaky: If you follow the instructions in this post you'll get perfectly flaky pie crust every single time. 
• Completely No-Fail: This pie crust is completely fail-proof. Seriously, you can't mess it up!
• Use for Savory or Sweet Pies: This is a flaky pie crust that is delicious for quiches, pumpkin pies, apple pies, and even for making sweet OR savory hand pies. 

Foodology Geek Recipe Tips

This recipe is almost exactly the same as my All-Butter Pie Dough Recipe except that you'll use buttermilk instead of ice-cold water. I find that the buttermilk gives this pie crust a lot more flavor.

Also, because there is a higher concentration of milk sugars, the crust bakes up to a lovely deep golden brown. 

Ingredients Needed For Making Pie Dough

• Flour: All-purpose flour. Flour is the base of the pie dough. I am a huge fan of King Arthur Brand.
• Sugar: Just a little bit of granulated sugar is used in pie crust, mostly to help with the browning. You don't really want pie crust to be sweet. Even when I make a savory pie or quiché a little sugar 
• Salt: Salt adds flavor to the pie crust. 
• Butter: Always use high-quality unsalted butter. I love Pulgra butter. It's best to use unsalted butter when baking. Not only 
• Buttermilk: I like to use full-fat buttermilk in my pie crusts.

Steps to Make the Best Pie Crust

I honestly almost always use my food processor to make my pie dough. It's easy and it always comes out perfect! If you don't have a food processor you can use your fingers or a pie ....to mix in the flour.

Another pro-tip that I use all the time is to grate my butter before I add it to the flour and then just toss it together before forming it in a disk for refrigerating.

PRO-TIP: The secret to flaky pie crust is to have tiny chunks of cold butter distributed throughout the dough and to chill before baking.

Step-by-Step Instructions

How to make Pie Dough in the Food Processor

Step 1 The dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the food processor bowl that is fitted with the blade attachment.

Step 2 Butter.

Add the diced ice cold butter to the food processor bowl.

Step 3 Incorporate the butter.

Pulse the butter and the flour together until you have a coarse, sandy texture.

Step 4 Add the buttermilk.

Get half a cup of buttermilk ready and then turn the food processor on. Do this step quickly. With the machine ON start to add the buttermilk a little bit at a time until the pie dough starts to come together. You may not add all of the buttermilk. Pulse a few more times.

Step 5 Press the dough together.

Dump out onto the counter and use your hands to press the dough together into 2 discs. Refrigerate for a few hours, up to overnight. Pie dough freezes great! Don't be afraid to make a double batch and freeze some for later.

Step 6 Wrap and chill.

Wrap the pie dough tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours, up to overnight. Pie dough freezer really well.

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How to roll out pie dough

Once you have refrigerated your pie dough overnight, you will want to take it out of the fridge and let it sit for about 20 minutes before you start to roll.

Step 1 Place the chilled pie dough on a floured surface.

Step 2 Roll out the pie dough with a rolling pin.

Step 3 Make sure that the pie dough is large enough to give you a little bit of overhang around the edge.

Step 4 Fold the pie dough in half.

Step 5 And then again.

Step 6 Place the pie dough into the pie dish.

Step 6 Unfold the pie dough in the pie dish.

Step 7 Gently press the pie dough into the corners of the pie dish.

Step 8 Fold the edges of the pie dough under.

Tuck the edges in the entire way around the pie dough.

Step 9 Use your fingers to crimp the edges of the pie dough all the way around.

Tips for blind baking a pie crust:

1. Refrigerate before baking — After you roll out the pie crust and get it into your pie pan, put it back in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. But you can refrigerate the crust overnight.
2. Vent the pie dough. Use a fork to pierce the pie dough all the way around.
3. Line the crust with parchment paper and add the pie weights — You can use ceramic pie weights or dried beans.

PRO TIP:  I use ceramic pie weights. Weighting the crust ensures that it doesn't puff up during the baking process.

Other Pie Recipes To Try

• Pecan Pie
• Banana Cream Pie
• Pumpkin Pie
• Blueberry Mini Hand Pies