Active Time

　　15 min

　　Total Time

　　1 1/4 hr

　　Basic is best: When it comes to pie crust, there's no need to fiddle. This simple dough will elevate any of the fillings here.

　　

Ingredients

Makes enough for a 9-inch pie

　　

For a single-crust pie

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

　　3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

　　2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening (preferably trans-fat-free)

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

　　

For a double-crust pie

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

　　1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening (preferably trans-fat-free)

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　7 to 9 tablespoons ice water

　　

Special Equipment

a pastry or bench scraper

　　

Step 1

Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

　　

Step 2

For a single-crust pie, drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture. For a double-crust pie, drizzle 5 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture. Gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.

　　

Step 3

Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.

　　

Step 4

Turn dough out onto a work surface. For a single-crust pie, divide dough into 4 portions; for a double-crust pie, divide dough into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together with pastry scraper. For a single-crust pie, press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. For a double-crust pie, divide dough with one half slightly larger, then form each into a ball and flatten each into a 5-inch disk. If dough is sticky, dust lightly with additional flour. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.