This is a pretty standard all-shortening piecrust, like the one my dad used when I was a youngster. A shortening piecrust won’t have the delicate flavor of a butter crust, and the texture is typically more crumbly, less flaky. Still, this yields a delicious, tender crust that many bakers believe makes the best pies.
The softness of the shortening makes this an easy recipe to double. For a double-crust-pie, simply double all of the ingredients and proceed as below. Divide the dough in two when it comes out of the bowl, making one part slightly larger than the other if you’re using it for a top and bottom crust.
Recipe information
Yield
One 9- to 9½-inch standard or deep-dish pie shell
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the flour, sugar (if using), and salt in a large bowl; refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Step 2
Add the shortening to the dry ingredients and toss it with your hands to coat, then break it up into smaller pieces. Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the pieces of fat are roughly the size of small peas and everything looks like it has been touched by the fat. There should be no dry, floury areas.
Step 3
Mound the ingredients in the center of the bowl. Drizzle about half of the water down the sides of the bowl, turning the bowl as you pour so the water doesn’t end up in one spot. Using a large fork, lightly mix the dough, tossing it from the perimeter toward the center of the bowl. Drizzle most of the remaining water here and there over the dough and toss again.
Step 4
Mix the dough vigorously now. The dough should start to gather in large clumps, but if it is dry in places, stir in the rest of the water.
Step 5
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pack it into a ball, then knead it several times to smooth it out. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it into a ¾-inch-thick disk. Wrap the disk and refrigerate for about 1 hour before rolling.
Recipe notes
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