Flawless Pie Dough

1. Measure the shortening and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or freeze for 20 minutes to get very cold.
2. Fluff or aerate your flour a bit before measuring it – by scooping the flour and gently shaking it back into its container a few times.
3. Measure the flour into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt.
4. Gently whisk the flour and salt to combine.
5. Cut the cold butter into pieces, and sprinkle it across the flour. Toss the butter pieces to coat with flour.
6. Add the chilled shortening to the butter bits in the flour. Cut both fats into the flour with a pastry blender, or by criss-crossing two knives until it resembles a coarse cornmeal, with a few larger pieces no bigger than the size of peas.
7. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Sprinkle the vodka into the well, and toss flour around it with a fork to mix it in evenly. Sprinkle in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with the flour mixture to mix it in. Dough will start to come together, but still appear crumbly. I usually end up needing 2 tablespoons of water, but you can add another tablespoon or two if necessary. You don’t want the dough to become too wet, so don’t use more than 4 tablespoons of water.
8. Cover the bowl with a clean towel, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. The flour will absorb the wet ingredients while it rests.
9. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half, and knead it a bit with your hands to form a ball. Flatten the dough balls into 5-6 inch disks.
10. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a week. This allows the butter and shortening to get cold again, and the flour to absorb more of the moisture—both will contribute to the flakiness factor of your pie dough.
11. Roll out dough for use in your favorite pie recipes.

NOTE: I’ve made this dough up to a week in advance, and just let it hang out in the fridge until I needed it. You can also freeze it by putting the wrapped disks into a freezer bag–just take it out of the freezer and let it warm up a bit on the counter–about 30 minutes, before rolling out.

To blind bake (for single crust, un-baked pies): Roll out dough and line a 9-inch pie plate. Fold extra dough under the edge of the plate, and leave as is, or apply a decorative edge with your fingers or a fork. Poke the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork. Line the bottom of the pie shell with foil, and cover foil with dried beans or pie chain. Bake at 400 degrees (F) for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and beans. Return to oven and continue baking until golden brown, about another 20 minutes. Cool and fill with desired filling.