iPie Crust

1. Chill the butter cubes until firm, 15–20 minutes, and prepare the ice water.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and fine salt.

3. Add the chilled butter to the dry ingredients. Cut it in with a pastry cutter or rub it in with fingertips until the mixture looks mostly like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining.

4. Drizzle in about 6 tablespoons of the ice water, tossing with a fork. Add more, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together when pressed; you may not need all of the 0.5 cup. The dough should look shaggy, not wet or sticky.

5. Turn the dough out and gently gather it into a mass. Divide into 2 equal portions, shape each into a 1-inch-thick disk, and wrap tightly. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

6. If blind baking, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Have a 9-inch pie plate ready.

7. Lightly dust the work surface with the all-purpose flour (for dusting). Roll one disk to a 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick, rotating and dusting as needed. Ease it into the pie plate without stretching, let it settle into the corners, and trim to a 1-inch overhang.

8. For a double-crust pie: Roll the second disk to a 12-inch circle. Add your filling to the bottom crust, lay the top crust over, trim to match the overhang, then fold and crimp. Cut a few vents. Chill the assembled pie 15 minutes, then bake according to your filling’s directions.

9. For blind baking (single crust): Dock the bottom lightly with a fork. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake at 375°F until the edges look set and just starting to color, 15–18 minutes. Carefully remove the weights and parchment. For a partially baked shell, continue 12–18 minutes more until the bottom looks dry and lightly golden. For a fully baked shell, continue 18–25 minutes more until evenly golden brown and crisp. Cool completely before filling.