6 Steps to Making the Perfect Piecrust

Making piecrust can leave a cook feeling like a magician. Combine flour, water, and butter with just a bit of sugar and salt and -- presto! -- the result is a tender, flaky pastry that elevates just about any filling. The trick, of course, is in the method -- a simple but precise series of steps that, through baking thousands of pies, our test-kitchen staff has trial-and-errored down to a science.

1 - 7 of 7
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  1. Easy as Pie
  2. Freeze About Three-Quarters of the Butter
  3. The Processor Should Be Off When You Pour In the Water
  4. The Dough Should Look Like This When You Squeeze It
  5. The Processed Dough Should Resemble Uneven Crumbs
  6. Press the Dough This Way to Form It into a Rough Round
  7. Roll the Dough into Rounds About This Thick

Gallery View:6 Steps to Making the Perfect Piecrust
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1 - 7 of 7
PrevNext
  1. Easy as Pie
  2. Freeze About Three-Quarters of the Butter
  3. The Processor Should Be Off When You Pour In the Water
  4. The Dough Should Look Like This When You Squeeze It
  5. The Processed Dough Should Resemble Uneven Crumbs
  6. Press the Dough This Way to Form It into a Rough Round
  7. Roll the Dough into Rounds About This Thick