Directions

1.  Prepare a chilled surface to roll the dough out on plus space in your refrigerator.

2.  Mix the salt and flour together. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut in half the cold Crisco until it looks like coarse cornmeal. Cut in the second 1/2 half of the Crisco until the lumps are the size of peas.

3.  Sprinkle the ice water in 1 T. at a time, fluffing with two forks as you go. Check after about 4-5 T., and then add just a little at a time until the dough sticks together when you squeeze a spoonful of it gently in your palm. It shouldn’t be either too wet (gooey) or too dry (still cracking when you squeeze it).

4.  Form a flat disk of dough (about 5” across) and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. For a double crust, make two disks.  Chill for 20-30 minutes. This will help the pastry be more flaky and light.

5.  Roll the dough out on a chilled smooth surface.  Have one piece of plastic wrap under the dough and one piece on top.  Use a little flour underneath and on top, plus on your rolling pin. Roll from the center out, just like in life. Fix any cracks right away by pinching the dough back together (use a little flour & water if necessary). Make it round and roll it until it would stick out about 2” beyond the outside edge of your pie plate if you were to invert the pie plate over the dough.  The plastic wrap is probably 12" wide, and you are probably going for about a 13" circle of dough, so eventually the dough will extend beyond the edges of the plastic wrap.  Loosen with a spatula and add a bit of flour underneath and on top as needed to prevent sticking.

6.  When it's the right size, loosen the edges again from below. Peel the top layer of plastic wrap off and pull the pie plate close.  

7.  Then, with confidence, gently transfer the dough to the pie plate by lifting it from below with both hands and flipping it (as centered as possible) onto the pie plate.  If necessary, move it a little so that it's centered and falls into the plate without stretching the dough.  Peel off the 2nd piece of plastic wrap. Fix any cracks or breaks by pinching the dough together.

8.  Trim 1/2” out from the edge of the pie plate for a single crust, turn under, and flute or decorate the edge as you choose. If you’re making a double crust, cut the first one about 1/4” from the edge. Have the top crust overlap the first one by about ¼” and then turn them both under together and crimp.

9.  Refrigerate this pie shell before filling and baking it! At least 8-10 minutes, up to 20. 

10.  Bake as directed for your recipe, or until the bottom is golden and, for juicy fruit pies, the filling is bubbling.