THE BEST PIE DOUGH Recipe

How to make it

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• To cut the butter into small bits, halve the stick of butter lengthwise with a large knife, rotate the stick ninety degrees, and cut again. Then cut the stick, crosswise into one-quarter-inch-pieces. Dough should be rolled about one-eighth-inch thick (about the thickness of two quarters).
• Mix flour, salt, and sugar in food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with a little of flour. Cut butter into flour with five 1-second pulses. Add shortening and continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal with butter bits no larger than small peas, about four more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.
• Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of ice water over mixture. With blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon more ice water if dough will not come together. Shape dough into ball with your hands, then flatten into 4-inch-wide disc. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling.
• For a 10-inch regular or a 9-inch deep-dish single pie shell, follow recipe for The Best Pie Dough, increasing flour by 1/4 cup and butter by 2 tablespoons.
• For a double-crust 8- or 9-inch pie, follow recipe for The Best Pie Dough, increasing flour to 2 1/4 cups, salt to 1 teaspoon, sugar to 2 tablespoons, butter to 11 tablespoons, shortening to 7 tablespoons, and ice water to 4 to 5 tablespoons. Divide dough into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other, before shaping into discs.
• For a double-crust 10-inch regular or double-crust 9-inch deep-dish pie, follow above variation, increasing flour by 1/4 cup and butter by 2 tablespoons.