My Favorite Pie Crust

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 14 tablespoons ice water

Directions

Makes 2 (9-10) inch crusts

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and sugar until well combined. Using clean hands, add butter and toss until just coated. Rub butter between thumb and forefingers to incorporate into flour mixture until butter is in lima bean-sized pieces and comes together in quarter-sized clumps when squeezed in palm, about 2 minutes. Add shortening, toss until just coated in flour, then rub into flour mixture until mixture forms pea-size pieces (some big chunks should remain) and comes together in fist-sized clumps when squeezed, about 1 minute. Drizzle in half the ice water and rake through mixture with fingers until just moistened. Drizzle in remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and comb through mixture with fingers to moistened. It will go from being a mess to coming together.  Dough is moist enough when it is moistened through but is not wet when pressed. (Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.) While
rotating the bowl with 1 hand, push dough between other palm and side of bowl to gather into a ball. Divide dough in half .Turn one half of dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close in wrap. Place remaining half on another piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close it in wrap.  Place both in coldest part of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before rolling out and forming into a crust.