• Read the post above in its entirety for tips and photos.

Make the dough:

• Dice the butter into 1/2" cubes then freeze the cubes on a plate for 20-30 minutes.
• Add the gluten free flour blend, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a large food processor then pulse several times to combine. Add the frozen butter cubes then pulse until the butter has a gravely texture.
• Drizzle 4 Tablespoons ice water into the food processor shoot while pulsing the dough. Add 4 more Tablespoons ice water while pulsing to combine. Check the dough consistency - if it stays together when you pinch a small handful of dough, it’s ready. If it crumbles apart after pinching, pulse in 1 - 2 Tablespoons additional ice water at a time until the dough comes together. It shouldn’t be extremely wet and sticky, but it shouldn’t dry either. NOTE: the total amount of water you’ll need depends on the gluten free flour blend used and how “thirsty” it is. In general, gluten free flour blends are thirstier than all-purpose flour, and will require more ice water compared to traditional pie crusts.
• Pour the dough mixture onto a clean, dry, flat surface then press with your hands until it comes together in a ball. Press the ball into a flat disc.

Laminate the dough:

• Use a bench scraper or knife to slice the disc in half. Stack the two halves on top of each other then press down from the top and shape the dough into a flat disc again. Use the bench scraper to slice the dough into quarters then stack the quarters on top of each other, press down from the top, and shape the dough once again into a flat disc. Wrap the disc tightly in plastic wrap then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. I like to refrigerate overnight.

Roll out the crust:

• Place a 9 - 9-1/2” glass or ceramic pie pan and your rolling pin in the freezer to chill for at least 10 minutes. Set the dough out on the counter to remove the chill for 2-3 minutes.
• Generously dust a clean, dry, flat surface with gluten free flour then unwrap the dough disc, place it down, and sprinkle the top with more gluten free flour.
• Roll the disc into a 12” circle with a rolling pin, adding more gluten free flour as needed to prevent sticking and using a bench scraper to scrape underneath the dough often to ensure it isn't sticking. I also like to pause a few times and use my hands to cup and shape the edges into a circle. See post copy for more tips.
• Troubleshooting: if your dough is too hard to roll out, let it sit and soften for a few minutes then try again. If your dough is too dry and splits or cracks, wet your fingers with ice water then pinch it back together. If your dough is too wet and sticky, sprinkle on more flour. Work as quickly as possible to ensure the butter stays cold and doesn’t begin to melt.
• Use a pastry brush or your hands to brush off any excess flour from the top of the dough and surrounding work area then use a bench scraper or a large metal spatula to scrape underneath the crust and help transfer it into the chilled pie pan. Use your fingers to gently guide the dough against the sides and bottom of the pie pan. Use kitchen shears to trim the edges of the dough to hang 1/4" over the sides - you shouldn't have much - then tuck them underneath so they're flush with the top of the pie pan. Use the scraps to thicken up any thin spots of dough on the top, sides, or bottom of the crust by wetting your finger with ice water and using it like "glue" to adhere the scraps to the crust.
• Flute the edges of the crust with your fingers and a knuckle, or crimp with the tines of a fork, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• After chilling, the gluten free pie crust is ready to be used in any recipe that doesn’t require par-baking or fully blind-baking the crust before adding the filling. That said, I almost always par-bake my crust, even if the recipe doesn't call for it, because gluten free baked goods can be gummy if underbaked.

Blind-bake the crust (optional):

• To par-bake the crust: place an oven rack into the lower third of your oven then preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed half sheet pan with foil and place the pie pan on top.
• Use a fork to make shallow pricks all over the bottom of the crust (not too deep or the pie filling can seep through). Crumple a piece of parchment paper into a ball, smooth it back out, then place it inside the chilled pie crust, gently pressing it against the sides, bottom, and over the rim of the pie crust to prevent over-browning. Fill to the top of the crust with pie weights, dried beans, rice, lentils, or granulated sugar then bake until the edges of the pie crust are light golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
• Remove the sheet pan from the oven then carefully pick up the edges of the parchment paper and pour the weights into a bowl to cool. Continue baking the crust until the bottom is pale and dry-looking, 4-8 more minutes. Allow the crust to cool slightly before adding your pie filling and baking according to recipe instructions.
• To fully blind-bake the crust: follow the above directions but after removing the weights, bake until the crust is golden brown all over, and fully cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Let the crust cool completely before filling with the no-bake pie filling of your choice.