The Perfect Fresh Milled Pie Crust (Easy Recipe)

The best pie crust is flaky, tender, and flavorful. The perfect complement to any pie filling is a fresh milled pie crust!

For years, I struggled with pie until I finally decided to change my approach to shaping the crust! This method makes for a rustic pie that is flaky and delicious!

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This pie crust the perfect base for sweet and savory pies! A homemade whole grain pie crust is a staple in our home for all of our pies!

How Fresh Milled Flour makes this Pie Crust better

• Flavor – Fresh milled flour has incredible flavor that makes recipes like this pie crust a step above those made with all purpose flour or bread flour.
• Texture – Pie crusts made with fresh milled flour are tender, flaky and still sturdy enough to hold up to any filling.
• Nutrition – Although “healthy” isn’t a word to describe pie, it can be if you use whole grains!

Which flour works best for this pie crust?

The best option will be either a soft wheat or an ancient wheat like Einkorn or Kamut since they have a lower gluten structure.

• Soft Wheat Berries – Soft white wheat is mild in flavor and makes a very tender pie crust.
• Einkorn – Einkorn is an ancient wheat that has a weak gluten structure and nutty flavor.
• Kamut – Another ancient grain, Kamut has a light, buttery texture and flavor making it quite delicious for a pie crust.

If you use hard wheat, take care to not over work the dough as this will start to develop gluten and lead to a tough crust.

If you are new to milling your own flour or your own grains and want a perfect place to start, CLICK HERE!

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To mill my wheat berries, I use the NUTRIMILL GRAIN MILL (use my coupon code: rose20 at checkout for $20 off!)

I get my wheat berries from ANCIENT GRAINS and PALOUSE BRAND

Looking for a fresh milled flour recipe for banana bread? CLICK HERE!

Want a pie crust made with sourdough discard? CLICK HERE!

Ingredients needed to make this recipe

Makes 1 pie crust

• Fresh-Milled Flour – You can use soft wheat, Kamut, or Spelt for best results as these have weaker gluten structures for a more tender crust. Keep in mind, Einkorn flour will absorb moisture more quickly than the other options, so add water very sparingly.
• Butter, Frozen – Frozen butter works best for pie crusts. I prefer grating mine with a box grater into the flour. Cold butter makes for a flaky pie crust. You can use either unsalted butter or salted butter. Keep in mind, using salted butter will lend to a saltier end product.
• Salt
• Cold Water – You will need just a bit of cold water to bring the crust together. Add sparingly.

For full ingredient amounts, see recipe card below

Try my SOURDOUGH PUMPKIN PIE for a pumpkin pie that will quickly become a favorite!

Step by step instructions for making this fresh milled flour crust

Mill the wheat berries

First, mill wheat berries on the finest setting of your grain mill.

Mix the dough

In a large bowl, add the flour and salt. Mix well.

Grate butter with a box grater or cut the butter into chunks and add to the flour mixture by using a fork or a pastry cutter until coarse crumbs appear.

Sparingly add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the dough sticks together in your hand without crumbling apart. You want a dough that sticks together when you squeeze it in your hand but is still a bit crumbly. (Think pasta dough)

Different flour choices will require different amounts of water to get to the right texture. Be sure to check the dough after each tablespoon of water. My crust was made with Spelt and required 2 tablespoons of water.

NOTE: You can use a food processor to mix the crust as well (This is my preferred method)

Chill the dough

Shape into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap or put in a plastic bag.

Place the pie dough in the fridge for at least 30-60 minutes.

Shape and bake

When you are ready to make your pie, remove the ball of dough from the fridge and roll out into a large circle with a rolling pin on a work surface and make it larger than the pie pan.

If you struggle with rolling out a pie crust (like me, no shame), simply press the pie dough into your pie plate moving from the center out. This is the method I have used for a long time to save myself from the frustration, ha ha!

Place the crust in the pie plate and cut off the excess.

Fill and bake to your recipes instructions.

You can also par bake the crust by adding pie weights or dried beans on top of the crust and baking at 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Bake 15-18 minutes for a fully baked crust.

This is commonly referred to as blind baking for a pie crust.

You can also freeze the pie dough by wrapping it in plastic wrap tightly or placing in a freezer bag. To thaw, place the frozen pie dough in the refrigerator overnight to thaw before using.

Tip and Tricks

Make a double recipe for a 2-crust pie. Divide dough into 2 balls and then refrigerate.

When making a 2-crust pie, brush the top crust with an egg wash before baking for a golden brown crust!

Make ahead and freeze for longer storage. Let the crust come to room temperature before shaping.

If your pie crust is too crumbly, add another tablespoon of water and check it again to see if it sticks together in your hand.

Do not over work the dough as this will cause gluten development and lend to a tough crust.

Different flour choices will require different amounts of water to get to the right texture. Be sure to check the dough after each tablespoon of water. My crust was made with Spelt and required 2 tablespoons of water.

Blind bake your pie crust for no bake pies.