ULTIMATE Lard Pie Crust

Kimberly Killebrew

This pie crust (aka shortcrust pastry) has a wonderfully buttery flavor, a perfectly flaky texture, and takes less than 5 minutes to make! SCORE!

5 from 11 votes

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 5

Course Pie Crust

Cuisine All

Servings 9-inch pie crusts

Calories 1944 kcal

3 1/2 cups (455 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter , very cold and cut into cubes
5 ounces (140 grams) lard , very cold
*How to Make Your Own Lard* (click for the recipe, we STRONGLY recommend making your own, it's super easy and WAY cheaper than store-bought!)
2/3 cup (155 ml) ice cold water (start with less and add more as needed)

This will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and up to 3 months in the freezer. (See blog post section about how to freeze the dough.)
Place the flour and salt in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times. Add the butter and lard and continue to pulse until the mixture breaks down into coarse crumbs.
Gradually add in the ice cold water, pulsing a few times after each addition, until the texture is such that if you take a small scoop of crumbs into your hands and pinch them they'll come together to form a dough. Be careful not to add too much water or your crust will be tough and won't be flaky.
Transfer the crumbly pastry dough to a lightly floured work surface and use floured hands to fold the dough into itself until it's all incorporated and comes together. Work quickly to prevent the ingredients from getting warm.
Form the dough into a ball. If you're using the pastry dough to make pies, cut the ball in half and flatten each half into a 1-inch thick disk. Tightly wrap each disk and refrigerate for at least 3 hours until ready to use.
If you're using the pastry dough for another purpose you can flatten the whole dough ball into a 1-inch thick disk, wrap and chill for at least 3 hours before using. (See blog post section above about how to freeze and use the pastry dough.)
This makes enough for two 9-inch pie crusts with enough excess for generous fluting and cutting out a few small shapes if desired.

Keyword Pie Crust

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