1. Classic Buttery Pie Crust (American)

Ingredients (makes 1 double crust or 1 single crust)
2 ½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar (optional, for sweet pies)
1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
6–8 tbsp ice water

Instructions
1️⃣ Mix dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and sugar (if using).
2️⃣ Cut in the butter
Add cold, cubed butter to the flour. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or fingertips to cut butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces.
Tip: Visible bits of butter = flaky crust!
3️⃣ Add ice water
Sprinkle ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, over the mixture. Gently mix with a fork until dough just holds together when pressed.
Don’t overwork — you want layers for flakiness.
4️⃣ Chill the dough
Divide dough in half (for double crust). Flatten into disks, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 1 hour.
5️⃣ Roll & assemble
Lightly flour surface and rolling pin. Roll dough into a circle slightly larger than your pie pan. Transfer to pan, trim edges, and flute if desired.
6️⃣ Blind-bake or fill & bake
Blind-bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line crust with parchment & pie weights; bake 15–20 min for custard or cream pies.
Bake with filling: Follow pie recipe directions (usually 25–30 min for fruit pies).

Tips for Perfect Crust
Keep butter cold; refrigerate if needed.
Use ice water to prevent tough dough.
Chill dough before rolling to prevent shrinking.
For extra buttery flavor, brush top edges with egg wash before baking.