Alton Brown Pie Crust Recipe

This Alton Brown Pie Crust recipe is a flaky and tender pastry, which calls for a blend of butter and lard and a unique spray bottle technique. It’s the gold standard for holiday pies, ready in about 1 hour and 15 minutes (including chilling).

Alton Brown Pie Crust Ingredients

• 6 oz (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 2 oz (4 tbsp) lard or vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into pieces
• 12 oz (approx. 2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp table salt
• ½ cup ice water (placed in a spray bottle)

How To Make Alton Brown Pie Crust

1. Prep the fats: Cube the butter and the lard (or shortening). Place them in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting. Cold fat is the most critical factor for flaky layers.
2. Combine dry ingredients: Place the flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
3. Cut in the fat: Add the chilled butter and lard to the food processor. Pulse the machine in short bursts until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal with a few larger, pea-sized chunks of butter remaining. Do not over-process; you want those chunks of fat to create steam pockets later.
4. The Spray Bottle Method: This is Alton’s signature trick. Spritz the ice water over the flour mixture while pulsing the food processor. Add water only until the dough begins to clump together. You may not need all the water. The spray bottle ensures the water distributes evenly without drowning the flour, preventing gluten development.
5. Test the dough: Pinch a small amount of dough between your fingers. If it holds together without crumbling, it is done. If it is dry, spray a little more water and pulse again.
6. Form and chill: Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Flatten each half into a disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap.
7. Rest: Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling out. This allows the flour to hydrate fully and the gluten to relax, preventing the crust from shrinking in the oven.

Recipe Tips

• Why Lard? Alton uses a mix of fats for a reason. Butter provides the delicious flavor, while lard (or shortening) has a higher melting point and 100% fat content, which creates superior flaky layers that butter alone cannot achieve.
• The Spray Bottle: Using a spray bottle atomizes the water, allowing it to cover more surface area with less liquid. This prevents you from accidentally making a wet, sticky dough that becomes tough when baked.
• Keep it cold: If at any point the butter starts to melt or feel greasy, stop immediately and put the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• Food Processor alternatives: If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a pastry blender (pastry cutter) to cut the fat into the flour, then sprinkle the water over with a spoon and toss with a fork.

What To Serve With Alton Brown Pie Crust

This crust is versatile enough for sweet or savory pies.

• Apple Pie: The sturdy crust holds up to heavy fruit fillings.
• Pumpkin Pie: A crisp base for custards.
• Quiche: Savory and flaky for egg dishes.
• Chicken Pot Pie: Use the second disk for a top crust.

How To Store Alton Brown Pie Crust

• Refrigerate: Store the wrapped dough disks in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before rolling.
• Freeze: Wrap the disks in plastic wrap, then foil, and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Baked: A blind-baked crust can be stored at room temperature for 1 day.

Alton Brown Pie Crust Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 180kcal
• Protein: 2g
• Carbohydrates: 14g
• Fat: 12g
• Saturates: 6g
• Sugar: 0g
• Salt: 0.3g

Nutrition information is estimated per slice (assuming a double-crust pie serves 10).

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