Go Back
–+ servings
Two floured discs of pie dough stacked on top of each other, showing a buttery texture and flaky layers.
RATE THIS RECIPE
2
Ratings
Print Pin

Homemade Buttermilk Pie Crust

This buttermilk pie crust recipe makes a rich, buttery, and ultra-flaky crust that’s perfect for any pie. The buttermilk adds a subtle tang and enhances the buttery flavor, while the dough bakes up tender with lots of flaky layers. With a few simple tips, you’ll master this homemade pie crust and never go back to store-bought again!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 2 pie crusts (enough for two single-crust pies or one double-crust pie)
Calories: 1466kcal
Author: Nicole Gaffney

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar omit for savory pies
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (16 tablespoons or 2 sticks), very cold, cut into cubes
  • ½ cup buttermilk very cold, plus more as needed

Instructions

Make the Dough

  1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
  2. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few larger pea-sized pieces remaining.
  3. Pour in the cold buttermilk, then pulse several times and check the dough by squeezing some of it between your fingers. If it comes together easily and feels moist, it’s ready. If it feels dry and won’t press together easily, add a tablespoon more buttermilk at a time, pulsing briefly until it just holds together.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a clean tea towel, then twist it up tightly to gather the dough into a ball.
  5. Divide in half and shape each portion into a disc about 1 inch thick.
  6. Wrap both discs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling out. The dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Roll Out and Assemble

  1. When you're ready to put your pie together, remove one disc at a time from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface.
  2. Roll out the dough by starting at the bottom and rolling the pin away from your body, rotating the dough 90 degrees every 1-2 rolls to keep it round. Transfer to a pie plate.

For a single-crust pie

  1. Tuck the loose pieces under, then use your fingers or a fork to crimp the edges and proceed with your recipe.

For a double-crust pie

  1. Remove the second piece of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out the same way as the first. Add your favorite filling to the bottom crust and then transfer the rolled-out dough over the top, just like you did the bottom.
  2. Use your fingers to pinch the top and bottom crusts together to seal in the filling, then tuck and roll the overhang under. Use your fingers or a fork to crimp the pie crust edges.

How to Blind Bake For a Single Crust Pie

  1. Once the dough is rolled out, prick the bottom with a fork a few times all over, then transfer to the freezer for a minimum of 30 minutes before baking. This prevents shrinkage!
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  3. Line the frozen crust with a layer of parchment paper or foil, then fill with either dried beans or pie weights, making sure they are evenly distributed.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment and weights and let cool. It's now partially baked and ready to fill and continue baking.
  5. For a fully baked crust, prick the bottom all over with a fork, then bake for another 20 minutes or until golden brown all over.

How to Bake For a Double Crust Pie

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and make move the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven with enough space to fit the pie.
  2. 
Brush the pie all over with egg wash, then place on a parchment lined baking sheet to catch any drips. Cut a few vents in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape.

  3. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower to 350 and bake for an additional 45 minutes to an hour. it should be golden brown all over with the filling bubbling up out of the vents.

Notes

  • Keep everything as cold as possible, especially the butter and buttermilk, to ensure the crust bakes up flaky.
  • If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
  • If the crust seems too dry even after adding more buttermilk, cover and let it rest for 10-15 minutes to let the flour hydrate. If it's still not coming together, mix in 1 more tablespoon of buttermilk and try again.
  • Don’t overwork the dough. Stop mixing as soon as it holds together, otherwise it can turn tough.
  • Use this dough for both sweet pies and savory pies by adjusting the sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 1466kcal | Carbohydrates: 134g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 96g | Saturated Fat: 60g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 251mg | Sodium: 1241mg | Potassium: 276mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 2935IU | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 7mg
QR Code linking back to recipe