I have been following the A Bountiful Kitchen site for a long time and Si Foster has some really great recipes that I use often. My new favorite is her pie crust. I have found that if I don’t post favorites here they can disappear from the original website. Please follow the links to see all of her hints and tips on making the perfect pie crust. I enjoyed the flakiness and crispiness of this crust.

Ingredients

2 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (add the two tablespoons if you at sea level)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening- I used 1/2 cup regular Crisco and 1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco
1/2 cup very cold water-I put it in the freezer when I started making the pie crust. I added just a little more water. Don’t add to much. you don’t want a sticky pie crust!

Method

1. Mix flour and salt.
2. Cut in shortening with pastry blender. You are looking for the shortening to be in pea sized pieces.
3. Add 1/2 cup water all at once. 
4. Fold ingredients with fork until flour is absorbed and dough comes together. If needed, add more cold water, a tablespoon or two at a time, until the dough resembles something similar to biscuit dough.
5. Divide dough in half for two pie crusts. The dough should be soft and not sticky. If sticky, roll in a bit of flour. 
6. Flour surface and rolling pin well. I use about 1/4 or more cups of flour on surface and spread in circle. Keep the rolling pin floured. 
7. Flatten dough with hand to make round disc shape.
8. Roll out from center to about 1/8” thickness. Place the pie plate on top of the dough. The dough should be rolled out approximately 2 1/2  inches past the edge of the pie plate, to allow for the dough to sink into the corner of the pie plate, and also extend over the edge of the plate so an outer crust is easily formed. 
9. Fold dough in half, lift onto pie plate.
10. Open and shape to pan, make sure to gently press the pastry into the corner of the pie plate. 
11. Cut off excess dough if making a single pie crust. If making a pie to be baked with filling, fill the pie shell, top with crust if desired (if making apple or other fruit pies). Follow pie recipe directions.