Combination Butter and Shortening Flaky Pie Crust Recipe (Double Crust)

1. Combine flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl or a food processor.
2. Give it a quick mix/pulse to combine the two ingredients.
3. Add butter and shortening to flour mixture.
4. Use a pastry blender, your fingers, or a food processor to break down the butter and shortening into pieces about the size of a pea.
5. Add water to flour-butter mixture and mix until combined. (Start out with about half and then add by tablespoon as you go as different altitude and humidity can alter the exact amount needed.)
6. Split into two balls, flatten into 2 inch thick disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze for about 45 minutes. (In a pinch, about 15-20 minutes in the freezer will suffice.)
7. Unwrap the dough.
8. Lightly flour a flat surface (we love using a mat or you can even use parchment paper) and your rolling pin.
9. Roll your dough until it is large enough you can tip your pie pan upside down on top of it and there is about an inch of pie dough sticking out all around it.
10. To transfer the dough into the pan: fold in half one way and then the other, so that it's a quarter-fold.
11. Lift the dough into pan and unfold.
12. Fold under edges.
13. Pinch the dough with two fingers on the outside and one on the inside for the fluted look.
14. Poke a few holes in the bottom to decrease risk of bubbles forming.
15. Wrap tightly, place in freezer and freeze for at least 1 hour or up to one month.
16. Bake according to specific pie directions.

Directions for a pre-baked (blind-baked) shell:

1. Follow rolling and pricking instructions, listed above.
2. Return shaped crust to freezer for an additional 15-20 minutes (if you have time). This helps pie maintain its shape during cooking. (You can skip if in a time crunch and just go with the pie weights, as listed below. But we always find that we can get better results if there's time to do this.)
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
4. Line your pie shell with either parchment or aluminum foil (may need a couple of pieces).
5. Fill pie shell with pie weights or dried beans of any type (you will need about a pound - enough to cover the bottom and push up around the edges. Remember, the whole point of this is to help the pie crust maintain its shape while initially setting in the oven.)
6. Cook in oven for about 10 minutes.
7. Remove pie weights and lining, and cook until golden brown, an estimated additional 10-15 minutes. (This can vary a lot depending on whether you put the crust back in the freezer, and just according to your oven. So just keep an eye on it.)

Directions for a Double-Crust Pie:

1. Place bottom pastry in pie pan (do not flute edges yet)
2. Put in desired filling.
3. Roll out remaining dough for top.
4. Cut slits or a design in top pastry to allow steam to escape while baking.
5. Fold bottom and top pastry edges together and flute edges.
6. If desired, apply egg wash to top and edge of pie, being careful not to break the delicate edges.
7. Bake as directed in individual recipe.