Homemade Pie Crust

Directions

1. To a food processor, add the flour, chilled butter, (optional) sugar, and salt*. Omit the sugar if using the crust for a savoury dish.
2. Pulse until the butter has been broken up into pea-sized pieces.
3. Add half of the water, pulsing a few times to combine. Then add the remaining water and pulse again until a dough has formed.
4. Turn the dough into a bowl. Use your hands to incorporate any stray bits of flour into the dough. Don't overdo it, as your hands will start to melt the butter. Divide the dough in two and roughly form the dough into a ball.
5. Place one of the dough balls onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper. Sprinkle the top of the dough with some flour as well. Then place a second piece of parchment over top and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an ⅛ inch (¼ cm) thick circle about 4 cm wider than the pie plate you want to use. Repeat with the other dough ball.
6. When it's rolled to size, carefully peel back the parchment paper, dust with a bit more flour, and place the parchment back on the dough. Repeat on the opposite side. This step helps prevent the dough from sticking to the parchment when it's transferred to the pie plate. Transfer the sheets to the fridge and allow them to chill for at least 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)**. Peel a parchment sheet off from the rolled-out dough and flip it into a pie plate so that the second parchment sheet is facing up. Use your fingers to press the crust into the pie plate through the parchment paper.
8. If you are "blind baking" or pre-baking the crust for a recipe that doesn't require the filling to be baked (for instance, a pudding or cream pie), remove the top parchment paper and use a fork to prick the dough several times.
9. Replace the parchment paper and place pie weights or dry beans on top of the parchment and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the weights and parchment from the pie and bake for an additional 12 - 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden.
10. For a double crust, remove the top parchment paper from the dough in the pie plate and fill the pie shell with the desired filling (such as an apple or blueberry filling). Peel off one side of parchment from the second rolled-out dough and flip that over the pie filling. Peel back the remaining parchment paper and trim away any excess dough from the edges of the pie.
11. Seal, crimp the pie edges if desired, and cut a few slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. Brush with some vegan cream or a bit of melted coconut oil and sprinkle with coarse sugar (if making a sweet dish). Bake in the oven for 40 - 50 minutes, until the crust is golden. Enjoy!

Notes

• * If you don't have a food processor, use a fork to "cut" the butter into the flour, or grate frozen butter into the flour.
• ** We used top and bottom heating (not fan-assisted/convection).

Storage

• After rolling out the dough, it can be stored in the fridge or freezer until ready to use. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
• Allow the dough to thaw in the fridge before transferring to the baking dish, to prevent it from shattering.