What’s the Real ‘Secret’ to the Best Pie Crust?

Good piecrust, most will agree, is nothing short of baking perfection. Flaky and tender, a properly made crust melts in your mouth but is still sturdy enough to support fillings from sliced apples to pureed pumpkin. It’s a tricky balance that can intimidate even seasoned home bakers. 

What’s more confusing is that plenty of recipes promise a different “secret” ingredient to guarantee the best possible piecrust, from vinegar to shortening to vodka. And, while some of these ingredients can truly up your pie-making game, others may not actually be necessary, or even all that effective. Here, we’ll unpack some of the most commonly endorsed piecrust “secrets.”

Anatomy of a piecrust

First of all, it’s important to understand the three main components of piecrust. Here’s how flour, fat, and liquid affect the flavor and texture of your final product. 

Flour

Flour is the first building block of piecrust, providing both structure and bulk (which you need when an ingredient list is less than five items long). Most piecrust recipes call for all-purpose flour, not only because it is the most common and versatile flour available (hence the name), but also because it does make a good piecrust… most of the time. All-purpose flour has a moderate protein content, and protein in flour translates to gluten development when water is involved, which can lead to a tough crust. With proper pie-making technique, the protein content of your flour will not matter. However, if you’re a slightly anxious pie baker, lower-protein pastry flour can provide a little extra insurance for achieve a tender crust. 

Fat

Moving on to fat — which contributes tenderness, flakiness, and flavor — there are several ingredient options to consider. Butter tends to come out on top because of its (arguably superior) flavor. It also contains a higher percentage of water than other fats, which helps with flakiness (generated by water converting to steam in the oven). Other commonly used fats include shortening and lard. These both contain more fat than butter, which means a more tender texture, and are both great options for piecrust — that is, if you’re happy with the somewhat savory flavor of lard (hello, quiches and meat pies) and the more neutral flavor of shortening. 

Liquid

The final step in preparing piecrust is adding liquid to bring the dough together. Liquid is important for structure, but adding too much of it can lead to too much structure (i.e. toughness). In many recipes, the liquid of choice is water, specifically ice water, which prevents fat from melting before your crust goes in the oven. This makes sense: Water is easily accessible and works perfectly well. However, water can also act as a catalyst for gluten development, and too much gluten can make piecrust tough. Luckily, you can benefit from water’s structural benefits while mitigating gluten development by adding other liquids either in place of or in combination with water. 

With these factors in mind, here are some common “secret” ingredients that are actually worth trying.

Best ingredient for a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture: shortening or lard

As mentioned, both shortening and lard contain more fat than butter, which is composed of about 80% fat and 20% water and other milk solids. This means that when you use the same amount of shortening or lard as you would butter in a recipe, you’ll inevitably be adding more total fat – and consequently a bit more tenderness – to the pastry. But what you gain in tenderness, you may lose in flakiness. That’s because the extra water in butter helps create steam, which can contribute lighter, flakier layers in your fully baked piecrust. For this reason, an all-butter piecrust is often considered the holy grail of pie, but a combination of butter and shortening or lard can make for a best-of-both-worlds crust. 

Best ingredient for a flaky, easy-to-roll-out crust: buttermilk or vodka

Using acidic ingredients is one way to reduce gluten formation, which is why vinegar is a popular addition to piecrust. The problem with vinegar is that you can’t use that much of it before your crust starts to take on an acidic flavor. You need to dilute it significantly with water, thereby greatly diminishing any effect it might have. A good alternative is buttermilk, which you can use in place of water to both generate steam and hinder gluten development. Sour cream and crème fraîche are also good options, but because of their high fat content and viscosity, it’s best to use them in combination with water rather than as full substitutes. 

Lastly, there’s vodka. Similar to acidic liquids, the alcohol in vodka prevents gluten development, and because it’s fairly neutral in flavor, it can be used at a higher percentage than vinegar. One popular recipe calls for an equal amount of vodka and water (¼ cup of each) to hydrate the piecrust. The result is a crust that is flaky, tender, and a relative breeze to roll out. 

So what’s the real secret? It depends…

Ultimately, there’s not one universal secret to the best piecrust; that will depend on what you define as your ideal crust. (Of course, technique matters, too). 

If flakiness is important to you, an all-butter crust made with buttermilk or vodka is likely your best bet. If you’re more into that tender, melt-in-your-mouth effect, go for a combination of lard or shortening and butter, try out a pastry flour, and/or think about a higher-fat liquid like sour cream or crème fraîche. There really is something for everyone when it comes to pie baking — the key is discovering your pie personality.