A great pastry shell is one of those foundational recipes that quietly elevates everything you make, from quiche to fruit tarts to classic pies. This version is simple, reliable, and built for texture: crisp edges, tender bite, and distinct flaky layers.

Once you understand a few key principles (cold butter, minimal handling, proper hydration), this becomes a go-to pie crust. Make this recipe ahead of time so that you have at least an hour to chill the dough in the fridge. The prep and mixing takes about 15 minutes.

Homemade Pastry Shell

A simple, buttery, flaky pastry shell perfect for quiches, pies, and tarts.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10

Chill time 1

Course: Baking

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup ¼ lb/1 stick cold butter, cut into cubes
3-5 tablespoons ice-cold water

Equipment

Mixing bowl
Pastry cutter (or hands)
Rolling Pin
9-inch pie pan

Method

Cut the butter up into pieces. Using a food processor, pulse the flour, butter & salt until just mixed and there are no more large pieces of butter. The mixture should resemble coarse meal. Don't over process or that will warm up the butter and make the dough a bit too sticky to work with.
Add 3 tablespoons of ice water to the dough and pulse until just incorporated. Test to see if the dough will just hold together by squeezing a little bit in your hand. If it's too dry, add another tablespoon or two.
Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to make sure the butter is evenly distributed throughout the dough. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for an hour or until you're ready to use it.

Notes

Keep all ingredients as cold as possible. This is critical for a flaky crust.
Do not overmix or over-knead, or the crust will become tough instead of tender.
For best results, chill again after shaping the crust in the pan before baking.
Can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight or frozen for later use.

How to Blind Bake (Don’t skip this if you’re making quiche or custard pies)

If your filling is wet or doesn’t bake long, blind baking is essential to avoid a soggy bottom.

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375°F
Line crust with parchment paper
Fill with pie weights (or dried beans)
Bake for 15 minutes
Remove weights and bake another 5–10 minutes until lightly golden

Pro tip: For a fully crisp base, brush with egg wash after removing weights and bake 2–3 more minutes.