I'm baking 2 or 3 sweet potato pies on Tuesday. I usually buy ready made pie crusts, but my wife insisted I make a homemade one instead. She HATES ready made.
Thing is I've NEVER made a pie crust. And don't tell her, but the ones she makes have never seemed much different than the store-bought.
I just whipped together three crusts using the crust in the YouTube video above. I prepped everything first for all three. I used a handheld rotary grater for the frozen butter (WAAAY easier than a box grater).
A single pie crust can be prepped, made, and ready to store in 10 minutes.
Below is the recipe I put in my phone.
Flaky Buttery Pie Crust
This is an America's Test Kitchen crust.
Makes 1 crust.
Note: a handheld rotary grater works way better than a box grater. Put the grater in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before use. If making more than one crust, put it back in the freezer between uses.
1st Ingredients
¾ cup AP flour (90g KA AP flour)
1 Tbs granulated sugar
8 Tbs cold salted butter, ½" cubed
2nd Ingredients
½ cup AP flour (60g KA AP flour)
2 Tbs grated frozen butter
Ice water (4 Tbs)
Directions
Grate 2 Tbs butter and stick in freezer.
Cube 8 Tbs cold butter into ½" chunks.
Place 90g flour and the granulated sugar in a food processor. Pulse twice to mix.
Add the cubed butter. Run for 30 seconds to form a solid ball. Then break into pieces back into the processor.
Add the 60g of flour and pulse 4 to 5 times to incorporate the flour. Should look like crumbles.
Empty into a bowl. Add the frozen shredded butter. Incorporate with hands.
Add 2 Tbs ice water. Stir in with spatula.
Add 2 more Tbs ice water. Press with spatula to form a nice dough. Add another Tbs ice water if needed.
Place a large piece of cling wrap on the working surface. Add the dough. Use the wrap with your knuckles to shape the dough, eliminate cracks, and form into a round, turning near the end to shape. Then wrap tightly and refrigerate for 2 hours to 2 days.
When ready to roll flat, set on counter for 10 minutes. Liberally flour working surface. Turn and roll to make a 12-inch round. Then roll on pin and place in pie pan.
Press firmly into corners without breaking the crust. Tuck the edges under and crimp with thumb and two fingers. Chill for 30 minutes before blind baking or filling.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Blind baking: line with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Fill with pie weights, or beans, or rice. Bake for 15-20 minutes, remove pie weights, and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Cool completely before filling.