Final answer:
All-purpose flour is the best choice for a flakey pie crust due to its ideal protein content, which balances tenderness and structure. Techniques like fractionation or adding vinegar or vodka can enhance flakiness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best flour to use for making a flakey pie crust is typically all-purpose flour.
This is due to its moderate protein content, which strikes a perfect balance between tenderness and structure.
When too much protein is present, as in bread flour, the crust can become tough; when too little, as in cake flour, it might lack the needed structure to hold up the filling.
For an extra flakey crust, some bakers use a technique called fractionation, which involves substituting a small portion of the all-purpose flour with pastry flour or adding a bit of vinegar or vodka to the dough to reduce gluten formation.