You can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a pie by its crust. This is hands-down the best pie crust ever, adapted from my mother-in-law Mary Jane’s recipe. It’s buttery, rich, flaky and unforgettable. You can make the dough, wrap it, and freeze for baking later.
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (3 1/2 sticks)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 extra-large egg
Directions
| Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender, food processor, or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse meal. | |
| Whisk the vinegar, egg, and 1/2 cup of ice water together and mix into the flour mixture with your hands until just combined. | |
| Transfer to a clean work surface, and gently press to form a dough. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Shape each into a ball, flatten slightly to form a disk, and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour. Roll out as indicated in your recipe. | |
Note
Feel free to use salted butter. If you do, skip adding the 3/4 teaspoon salt.
Mary Jane was given the original version of this recipe by a friend while living in San Diego and adjusting to life as a new mom with a husband at war. I often think of her when preparing this dough and can only imagine what a challenging time it must have been for her. Yet somehow, she still made time to bake pies. I love that.
Images by Thayer Allyson Gowdy
IT'S ME, SERENA!
I bounced through the first years of my life in a hippie gypsy wagon, hand-built by my father, wandering the back roads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. My family eventually settled into a tiny cabin in the woods on property that was once inhabited by Native American Indians.
I spent my childhood days searching for arrowheads, teaching myself to sew on a treadle sewing machine and to bake in a wood-burning stove, with no running water, refrigeration, or electricity in our home. My family lived frugally and early on, inspired by my parent’s thriftiness and style, I gained a knack for thrifty creativity and turning ordinary objects into something useful. And I dreamed of the home I would create for my own family someday.
Now I’m married to my husband, Colin, and our children are all grown. After 24 years of producing The Farm Chicks Vintage & Handmade Fair, I'm spending time visiting other markets around the world. You can watch episodes of Serena Goes to Market here.
I share more about my life story from time to time, here on my blog. You can also find me on Instagram, and Facebook.
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THE FARM CHICKS
P.O. BOX 9866
SPOKANE, WA 99209
COPYRIGHT 2026
THE FARM CHICKS
P.O. BOX 9866
SPOKANE, WA 99209