Brenda Gantt Pie Crust Recipe
- Prep 15 min
- Bake 25 min
- Total 40 min
- Makes 1 pie crust (8 slices)
- Level Easy
About Brenda Gantt’s Pie Crust
Brenda Gantt is a Southern home cook from Andalusia, Alabama, whose unhurried cooking videos made her a favorite with millions of viewers. Her homemade pie crust appears in her second cookbook, Linger Around the Table Y’all, where she pairs it with her fresh blueberry pie. She describes it as easy, quick, and cheap, a crust you can make any time without a trip to the store.
What sets it apart from many pie crust recipes is how little fuss it asks of you. You use soft butter instead of cold, mix by hand instead of cutting it in with a pastry blender, and skip the food processor and the long chill. Brenda’s recipe calls for White Lily flour, a soft Southern flour that bakes up tender. The dough is rolled thin, about ⅛ inch, which is how she gets enough for a bottom crust and a lattice top from one batch.
The crust is a good example of old-fashioned Southern baking: a few pantry staples, a bit of know-how, and a relaxed attitude. Brenda even builds forgiveness into her instructions. If the dough is sticky, add more flour. If it cracks when you move it to the pie plate, just press it back together with your fingers. You can read more about her story in our Brenda Gantt stories.
Brenda Gantt Pie Crust Recipe
*Bake time is for an empty (blind-baked) crust. If you fill the crust before baking, follow the time in your pie recipe.
Ingredients
Kitchen Tools Needed
- Large mixing bowl
- Rolling pin
- 9-inch pie plate
- Fork (for pricking)
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Floured work surface
New to baking? Our kitchen guides cover the basic tools every Southern kitchen needs.
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a pie plate.
- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, stir the flour, room-temperature butter, and sugar together by hand until crumbly.
- Add the ice water. Pour in 5 tablespoons of ice water and mix well until the dough comes together.
- Knead. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly. If it feels sticky, sprinkle a little more flour over the dough and the surface.
- Roll it out. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large circle about ⅛ inch thick.
- Fit the pie plate. Lay the dough in the greased pie plate and press it down so there are no air pockets between the crust and the plate. Trim the excess and flute the edge. Baking it empty? Prick it all over with a fork. Adding a raw filling first? Do not prick it.
- Bake. For an empty crust, bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. If the pie has a filling, follow the baking directions in that pie’s recipe.
Want a lattice top? Gather the trimmed scraps and roll them into a circle about 10 inches wide. Cut the dough into strips, weave them over your filled pie, and crimp the edges. This is how Brenda tops her blueberry pie.
Brenda’s kitchen wisdom: Add more flour if your dough is sticky. If it cracks when you put it in the pie plate, just press it back together with your fingers.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 350 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 30 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sodium | 180 mg |
| Sugar | 1 g |
Nutrition values are estimates and are not a substitute for professional dietary advice. Filling and any top crust add to these numbers.
What to Avoid
Preparation Mistakes
- Don’t leave air pockets. Press the dough snugly against the plate so the crust bakes evenly and doesn’t puff up.
- Don’t prick a crust that will hold a raw filling. The holes let the filling leak underneath. Prick only when baking the crust empty.
- Don’t roll it too thick. About ⅛ inch gives a tender crust that bakes through.
- Don’t forget to grease the pie plate. The butter-rich dough needs a little help to release cleanly.
Storage Mistakes
- Don’t leave unbaked dough uncovered. It dries out and cracks. Wrap it tightly.
- Don’t store a baked crust while warm. Cool it completely first to avoid trapped steam and a soft crust.
- Don’t add a wet filling to a baked crust long before serving. It will soften the crust.
Dietary Considerations
- Contains Dairy (butter)
- Contains Gluten (wheat flour)
- Egg-Free
- Vegetarian
Pro Tips for the Best Pie Crust
- Use the flour Brenda uses. White Lily is a soft, low-protein flour that makes tender crusts. Regular all-purpose flour works but is slightly less tender.
- Let the butter soften on the counter. Brenda uses room-temperature butter, so it mixes into the flour easily by hand.
- Use real ice water. Add the water a little at a time if you are unsure. You want a dough that holds together without feeling wet.
- Fix sticky or cracked dough the easy way. Sprinkle on a little more flour if it sticks, and press any cracks back together with your fingers.
- Optional chill. Brenda’s recipe doesn’t call for it, but if your kitchen is hot and the dough turns soft and greasy, 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge makes it easier to roll.
- Brush the edge for color. A little melted butter on the fluted edge helps it brown evenly.
Find more techniques in our cooking tips collection.
What to Make With This Crust
Fruit Pies
- Fresh blueberry (with lattice top)
- Apple
- Peach
Custard & Cream Pies
- Coconut custard
- Chocolate
- Buttermilk
When to Bake
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas dinner
- Sunday supper
- Church potlucks
Looking for another Brenda Gantt pie? Try our key lime pie, or browse the full recipe collection.
Ingredient Substitutions
| Ingredient | Swap | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White Lily flour | Any all-purpose flour | Slightly less tender. Add a teaspoon or two of extra ice water if the dough seems dry. |
| Salted butter | Unsalted butter + ½ tsp salt | Mix the salt into the flour so it spreads evenly. |
| Butter | Half butter, half shortening | A more tender, less rich crust. This changes Brenda’s original recipe. |
| Sugar | 1 tablespoon sugar for dessert pies | A bit more sugar browns the crust more deeply. |
Storage & Make-Ahead
Unbaked Dough
Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling.
Freezer
Wrap the dough well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Baked Crust
Cool completely, cover, and keep at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 3 days.
Make ahead: shape the crust in the pie plate, cover it tightly, and refrigerate until you are ready to fill and bake.
Storage times are general food-safety guidance for butter dough, not part of Brenda’s original recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brenda’s recipe does not call for chilling. She works with room-temperature butter and rolls the dough right away. If your kitchen is very warm and the dough feels greasy or soft, you can rest it in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before rolling.
Yes. White Lily is a soft Southern flour that gives a very tender crust, but any all-purpose flour will work. The crust may be slightly less tender. If the dough feels dry, add a teaspoon or two more ice water.
Yes. Brenda uses salted butter, so if you use unsalted, add about ½ teaspoon of salt to the flour so the crust is not bland.
Fit the dough into the greased pie plate with no air pockets, flute the edge, and prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Bake at 350°F until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes, then cool before adding a no-bake filling.
It depends on the pie. Prick the crust if you are baking it empty and adding the filling later. Do not prick it if the filling goes into the raw crust and bakes together, because the holes let the filling seep underneath.
Don’t worry. Press the cracks back together with your fingers once the dough is in the pie plate. If the dough keeps cracking or feels dry, knead in a few drops of ice water.
Reader Reviews
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It’s gonna be good, y’all. Go make yourself a pie.
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