Joy of Cooking Basic Pie Dough

For a double-crust 9-inch, or a single-crust pie with a generous lattice, use the following amounts. For a one-crust 9-inch pie, use half the recipe.

Sift together:

2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

Measure and combine:

2/3 c chilled shortening

2 Tbsp chilled butter

Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender. Add half of the shortening and continue blending until it has the grain of cornmeal. Cut the remaining half coarsely into the dough until it is pea size.

Sprinkle the dough with:

4 Tbsp cold water

Blend the water lightly into the dough. You may lift the ingredients with a fork, allowing the moisture to spread. If needed to hold the ingredients together, add:

1 tsp to 1 Tbsp water

When you can gather the dough up into a tidy ball, stop handling it.

**Place between wax paper and use hands to flatten. Place in refrigerator to chill until needed. I found putting it in the fridge after flattening it makes it roll out very nicely.

Source: Joy of Cooking cookbook