All-butter pie crust

Many pie doughs use shortening or lard because they are easy to work with, but an all-butter crust relies on butter alone for its fat. Cold butter is cut or rubbed into flour until the pieces are about the size of peas, then just enough ice water is added to hold the dough together. Those flattened pieces of butter melt and release steam in the oven, separating the dough into flaky layers.

Butter gives the best flavor and mouthfeel, but it melts at a lower temperature than shortening, so the dough must be kept cold and handled quickly. Chilling the dough before rolling and again before baking helps it hold its shape and stay tender.