pastry for a double-crust pie

For best flavor and texture, this pastry has both butter and shortening. To make the pie shown in the photo, click here.

ingredients

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
6 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
7 tablespoons cold water, or more as needed

directions

In a bowl with a fork, stir together flour and salt. Cut the butter and shortening into small pieces and scatter over the flour mixture, then cut in with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the cold water over the mixture and stir with the fork until moistened. If using a food processor, pulse flour and salt once or twice, then pulse in butter and shortening until the mixture looks like oatmeal. Sprinkle with water and pulse until it just starts to hold together, but do not process it into a ball or your pastry will be tough.

Turn pastry onto a lightly floured board and push together with your hands; knead just until it holds together. Wrap the pastry in plastic or waxed paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

Remove pastry from refrigerator and let stand until room temperature then unwrap. Cut pastry in half; rewrap other half and put back in fridge. On a lightly floured board, roll pastry into an 11-inch circle (or as needed for your pie or tart pan). Wrap around the rolling pin, then unroll it over pie plate. Fill the pie as directed. Remove the other half of pastry from the refrigerator and roll it out and trim as directed then place on top of pie. Bake as directed in your recipe.