My pie dough recipe

For two crust pie, approximately 8 or 9 inches. (top and bottom)

2 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
4 ounces shortening chilled
2 1/2 ounces butter chilled but not frozen.
1/2 cup ice water or as needed
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 egg, slightly beaten

For single crust pie

1 cups AP flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons sugar
2 ounces shortening chilled
1 1/2 ounces butter chilled but not frozen.
1/4 cup ice water or as needed
1 teaspoons vinegar
1/2 egg (2 tablespoons), slightly beaten

Combine the dry ingredients and mix. As you are mixing the dry ingredients add the shortening and butter until you get a pea like consistency with the dough. Add more butter if needed but do not go over 3 ounces for two crust or 1 1/2 ounces for single crust. Make sure the butter has been siting out of the fridge for 1/2 hour, it should be cold but workable, and that the shortening is chilled as well but not frozen or hard.

Next add the vinegar and beaten egg. Then slowly pour in the 1/2 cup ice water until the dough starts to come together. As soon as it comes together, stop adding the water and stop mixing. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest for 4 hours or better a full day.

Assembly:

Grease the pie plate liberally.



After the dough has rested, gently roll out. To roll out you can either use a piece of parchment on a board or some flour on your baking surface. I like to create a ball and then gently push down the ball to flatten it.





Next roll out the dough. I always roll in one direction only. Be very gentle with the pie dough and don't overwork it.





Measure the dough against the pie plate to make sure you have enough.



Then gently drape the dough over the pie plate.



Then shape the rolled out dough into the plate. You can crimp and decorate your edge if you'd like but with pies that have tops, either full or lattices, the decoration will be lost. Notice, I am doing very little trimming. I stretch the dough to shape it over the pie plate. It helps if you've rolled the dough more or less into a circle slightly larger than the plate.



If you are using parchment, make sure you roll the dough slightly bigger than the pie plate and using the parchment paper, turn the dough over onto the pie plate.

It's easiest if you put the plate onto the dough. If the parchment paper is on a piece of cardboard or cutting board, so much the easier. (If you are making a top and a bottom, roll out about 1/2 for the bottom. See the pie recipe for directions for the top.)

Trim and crimp and don't forget to dock, that is fork, the dough well. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

And remember, do not fear your pie dough. And be gentle. Good pie dough is delicate. Butter should be dotted through out the dough. This will make it flakey. You pie dough should not be bread like. This is not bread. Do not over knead.