Pie Crust

There’s something so comforting about a homemade pie crust—flaky, golden, and just sturdy enough to hold whatever filling the season brings. This recipe is the one I reach for time and again, passed down and gently adjusted over the years. It uses simple, everyday ingredients: flour, fat, a pinch of salt, and cold water. No fuss, no shortcuts—just honest work and a little trust in your hands. Whether you’re filling it with apples from the orchard, summer berries, or a savory quiche, this crust is a faithful foundation. If you’ve never made one from scratch, now’s the perfect time to start.

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RuthAnn's Pie Crust

Makes three 8-9" single crusts

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup cold lard, cold tallow, or shortening. Lard is my favorite, tallow is best for savory pies.
1 cup water scant

Method

Mix together flour, salt, and baking soda with a fork.
Cut in your lard.
Make a shallow pond in your crumbs. Pour in about half the water then gently push the crumb mixture into the pond until they are all consumed by the water, then add some more water and let it gently consume more crumbs, being careful to use gentle folding motions and not kneading and pressing motions.
I like my pie dough to be a tad sticky because I want to use flour to roll it without making it rubbery and tough.
Remember the more you handle pie dough, the tougher it gets.