Martha White's Perfect Pie Crust

Ingredients

One-Crust Pie

• 1 cup martha white all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 2 1/2-3 tablespoons cold water

Directions

1. 1

   Combine flour and salt; mix well.

2. 2

   With pastry blender or fork, cut in half of shortening until mixture is fine and mealy.

3. 3

   Cut in remaining shortening until mixture is consistency of small peas.

4. 4

   Sprinkle water over mixture; stir gently with fork until dough leaves sides of bowl.

5. 5

   If some dry particles remain in bottom of bowl, sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon water; continue to stir with fork until particles are worked into dough.

6. 6

   Mixture should be moist enough to form a ball, but should not be sticky.

7. 7

   Shape dough into 1 or 2 balls (depending on one- or two-crust); flatten to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges.

8. 8

   On floured surface, roll out dough to 11-inch round.

9. 9

   Carefully roll dough around rolling pin; unroll unto 9-inch pie pan, or 9- or 10-inch tart pan; Fit evenly into pan; do not stretch.

10. 10

    For one-crust baked pie shell (unfilled): Heat oven to 475F; Prick bottom and sides of pastry generously with fork; Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown; Cool on wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cooled.

11. 11

    Continue as directed in pie recipe.

12. 12

    For Two-Crust Pie: 2 cups Martha White All Purpose Flour 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup shortening 4 1/2 to 5 tablespoons cold water.