The Pioneer Woman's Trick For Perfectly Flaky Pie Crust

Apple, lemon meringue, strawberry rhubarb, coconut cream. No matter what flavor of pie you prefer (and there are a lot!), there's one thing every good pie has in common: a perfectly flaky crust. You know exactly the kind of crust we're talking about — the kind that holds its shape when it's sliced, yet crumbles into delicious, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth goodness as soon as you bite into it.

But if you've ever baked a pie from scratch, you know that trying to make the perfect pie crust is a lot easier said than done. It's either too tough and crumbly, or too soggy and liquid-y. It's either overcooked or undercooked. It's either too thick or too thin. The problems are endless! Fortunately, the Pioneer Woman (a.k.a. Ree Drummond) can help. The Food Network chef (who's baked more than her fair share of pies over the years) has revealed her secret for nailing that flaky crust we all crave.

In the world of cooking, fresh is always better than frozen, right? Well not when it comes to pie crusts, the Pioneer Woman says. After years of searching for the perfectly flaky crust recipe, Ree Drummond believes she's found it — and the secret doesn't lie in the ingredients but rather the process itself. According to Drummond's website, the trick is making your pie crust dough and then freezing it before you assemble the pie. While you only need to freeze it for 20 minutes or so (which she says is enough time to let it firm up), you can freeze it for as long as you'd like as long as you package it properly.

Drummond recommends placing your ball of dough into a Ziploc bag and then rolling it out with a rolling pin while it's in the bag. She explains that this will make it easier to roll out later on. Then securely seal the bag, place it in the freezer, and voila! You're finished... until you're ready to start baking.