What type of pastry is typically used for apple pie crust?

The pastry typically used for an apple pie crust is shortcrust pastry. It is made by combining flour with fat—often butter, lard, shortening, or a mixture—and adding enough water to bring the dough together.

Shortcrust is valued because it produces a tender, crumbly crust when the fat coats the flour and the dough is handled minimally. Keeping the ingredients cold and avoiding overworking the dough helps prevent excess gluten development, which can make the crust tough. Some recipes adjust the proportions or technique to create a flakier American-style pie dough, but that dough remains within the broader family of shortcrust pastries.

Shortcrust pastry can form both the bottom and top of an apple pie. The top may be solid, vented with decorative cuts, or woven into a lattice. Puff pastry is different: it relies on repeated layers of dough and butter to rise dramatically in the oven. Filo dough is much thinner and is used in layered preparations, while chocolate pastry is a flavor variation rather than the standard choice for a traditional apple pie.