May 31, 2026 Baking

Jennifer Latham’s Pie Crust

Every baker needs one pie crust they can make in their sleep, and this is mine — adapted from Jennifer Latham, who builds it on a ratio so simple you’ll never need to look it up again: 1:2:3, water to butter to flour, by weight.

The trick is cold butter and a light hand. You want to leave the butter in flat, flaky shards and pea-sized pieces rather than rubbing it all the way in — those little pockets of butter melt in the oven and steam the layers apart, which is exactly what makes a crust shatter when you cut it.

Use a good high-fat butter if you can find it (85% butterfat or more). Keep everything cold, don’t overwork the dough, and give it a proper rest in the fridge before you roll. The rest is just pie.

The Recipe

Makes: enough for 1 double-crust pie (2 discs)  •  Prep: 15 min  •  Chill: at least 1 hour

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Salt the water: Stir the sea salt into the ice-cold water until dissolved. Keep it cold.
  2. Cut in the butter: Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the cold cubed butter and work it in with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until you have a mix of flat, flaky shards and pea-sized pieces. Keep the butter cold and visible — those pieces are what make the crust flaky.
  3. Add the water: Drizzle in the salted ice water a little at a time, tossing and gently squeezing the dough until it just holds together. Don’t overwork it.
  4. Divide and chill: Divide the dough in half, flatten into two discs, wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour (overnight is even better).
  5. Roll: Roll out cold on a floured surface. If the dough softens while you work, return it to the fridge.

Notes

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