Super-Flaky All-Butter Pie Crust

Measure flour and salt into a bowl. Cut the cold butter (straight from the fridge) into small chunks and throw on top of the flour. Cut the butter into the flour until butter is in small crumbly pieces. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time while stirring the dough mixture with a fork until it comes together easily but isn’t sticky. (You might not need all of the ice water.) Bring it all together and pat into a ball. Wrap in plastic and put it in the fridge.

Makes enough for a 9-inch bottom crust. Double the recipe to make enough for a top crust, too.

When you’re ready to roll out your pie crust, lightly flour your work surface. Handle the dough as little as possible; the less you touch it, the more tender and flaky it will be. Starting in the center, roll the dough out into a circle, about 1/8″ thick. When you’ve reached your desired thickness, place the rolling pin in the middle and gently fold the crust over the rolling pin. Lift the dough onto your pie plate and unfold it.

If you need to pre-bake the crust, prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden-brown. I haven’t ever needed to weigh it down, but if you want, spread some dry beans or rice on the crust before baking to keep it from bubbling.

For the shortening variation, combine flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Cut in shortening until about pea-sized. Sprinkle the ice water a tablespoon at a time over the flour/shortening mixture until it comes together easily but isn’t sticky. (You might not need all of the ice water.) Bring it all together and pat into a ball. Wrap in plastic and put it in the fridge.

All the remaining instructions are the same.