Making Pie Dough in a Food Processor (You can also make it by hand)

1. Combine the first portion of flour and butter: Add 1 ½ cups of flour, salt, and sugar to your food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Next, scatter the cold butter cubes over the flour mixture. Process for about 15 seconds, until a dough or paste begins to form and there is no dry, uncoated flour left. The flour should take on a pale yellow color, and you should be able to press the dough together.

2. Add the remaining flour: Scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl to redistribute the mixture. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour and pulse 4 to 5 times. The dough should look broken up and a little crumbly, with the flour evenly distributed (see our video for reference).

3. Add water and bring the dough together: Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of ice water over it, and use a rubber spatula to press the dough into itself. The crumbs should start to form larger clusters. To check if it’s ready, pinch a small amount of dough; if it holds together, you’re good to go. If it falls apart, add 2 to 4 more tablespoons of water and continue to press until the dough comes together. The amount of water needed depends on the level of humidity in your kitchen. Don’t worry if you need to add more than we do in our video.

4. Form and chill the dough: Remove the dough from the bowl and gently form it into a ball on a clean surface. Cut the ball in half, then flatten each half into a disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days. You can also freeze the dough for up to 3 months (just be sure to thaw it overnight in the fridge before using it).

Rolling Out Pie Dough

1. Prepare the dough: Remove one of the dough disks from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for at least 5 minutes. This makes the dough less stiff and easier to roll. Lightly flour your work surface, the top of the dough, and your rolling pin.

2. Roll the dough: Using your rolling pin, roll the dough, turning it a quarter turn after every other roll, until you have a circle about 12 inches in diameter (perfect for a 9-inch pie dish). Periodically check to make sure the dough isn’t sticking to your work surface, and add a small amount of flour underneath as needed. You can always check the size by inverting your pie dish over the dough (you should have about a 1-inch edge all the way around).

3. Transfer to the pie dish: To move the dough to your pie dish, carefully roll it around your rolling pin, then unroll it over the dish. Gently press the dough down into the dish, making sure it lines the bottom and sides without pulling or stretching it.

4. Crimp the edges: Fold any overlapping dough underneath itself to create a thicker, 1/4-inch border that rests on the lip of the dish. To crimp, press the pointer finger of one hand against the inside of the dough while gently pressing with the knuckles of your other hand from the outside.

5. For a double-crust pie, don’t crimp the bottom crust. Instead, roll out your second dough disk, fill the pie, then place the top crust over the filling. Trim the edges of both crusts and then crimp them together as described above.

6. Chill the crust: Slide the unbaked pie crust into the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.