Double-Crust Pie Dough

Oct 13, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pies tarts Vanilla: Extract Medium

An unfilled, crimped double-crust pie dough in a ceramic pie plate on a floured wooden board with a rolling pin beside it

Enough all-butter dough for a bottom crust and a full top or lattice. The top crust is what turns a fruit filling into a classic apple, cherry or peach pie.

Prep 30 min

Cook —

Cooling 1 hr

Total 1 hr 30 min

Yield 8 slices

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

2 ½ cups (320.0 g)all-purpose flour
2.0 tbsp (24.0 g)granulated sugar
½ tsp (3.0 g)fine sea salt
1.0 cup (226.0 g)cold unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1.0 (50.0 g)large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for the top
1.0 tbsp (12.0 g)coarse sugar, for the top
7.0 tbsp (105.0 ml)ice water, as needed
1.0 tsp (5.0 ml)pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a wide bowl. Add the cold fat and cut it in with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the largest pieces are the size of peas, with some smaller flakes.
Stir the vanilla into the ice water. Sprinkle most of it over the flour and toss with a fork until the dough holds together when squeezed; add the rest a teaspoon at a time only if it stays dry.
Press the dough into a disk, wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour so the flour hydrates and the fat firms.
Roll on a floured surface into a 12-inch circle, turning it a quarter turn after every pass. Fit it into a 9-inch pie plate without stretching, fold the overhang under and crimp the edge.
Divide the dough in two, one piece slightly larger for the bottom. Shape both into disks before chilling.
After filling, roll the second disk into an 11-inch circle for a full top (cut 4 vents) or into 1-inch strips for a lattice. Seal to the bottom crust, crimp, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking.

Tips

Keep everything cold: cube the fat and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes before you start.
Visible flakes of fat in the rolled dough are what make the baked crust flaky; do not blend them away.
If the dough cracks while rolling, let it sit 5 minutes to soften, then continue.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make double-crust pie dough?

Plan on 30 minutes of prep, plus 1 hour to chill. The recipe makes one 9-inch double crust.

How should I store double-crust pie dough?

Wrap unbaked dough and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. A baked crust keeps 2 days at room temperature, loosely covered.

Can I make double-crust pie dough ahead?

The dough keeps 3 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer; roll it the day you bake.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Enough all-butter dough for a bottom crust and a full top or lattice. The top crust is what turns a fruit filling into a classic apple, cherry or peach pie.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

376 Calories / serving

23.9g Fat

35.0g Carbs

5.0g Protein

4.7g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~3008 cal · 191g fat · 280g carbs · 40g protein · 38g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.