Perfect Pie Pastry

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix 1 cup flour and the salt (single crust) or 2 cups flour and the salt (double crust)
2. Add butter and shortening
3. With pastry blender or your fingers, cut in the fats until the largest pieces are pea-size
4. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp water (single crust) or 4 Tbsp water (double crust) over flour mixture
5. Stir with fork just until evenly moistened
6. Gently squeeze about 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball; if it won’t hold together, crumble lump back into bowl and sprinkle with more water, 1Tbsp at a time; stir with fork until evenly moistened
7. With lightly floured hands, gently squeeze dough into a ball (for double crust split and form into 2 balls)
8. Pat dough into a 4” wide round (2 rounds for double crust)
9. Press edges to make smooth
10. Lay dough ( only 1 round for double crust) on a lightly floured surface
11. Coat rolling pin with flour
12. Roll firmly but gently in short strokes from center outward to form an 11” wide round
13. If edges split while rolling, push them back toward center to make round relatively smooth
14. Ocasionally lift dough or turn over, dusting flour beneath each time to prevent sticking
15. Fold the dough round in half, lift it gently without stretching, and lay the folded edge across the middle of a 9” pie pan
16. Unfold and ease dough into pan without stretching
17. Trim dough edge evenly 3/4” beyon pan rim