Double-Crust Pastry

The bedrock of American pie baking, four ingredients deep. Flour, salt, shortening, and cold water turn into a flaky double crust that handles fruit fillings, custards, and savory chicken pot pies with equal ease.

Shortening (instead of butter) is the choice that gives this pastry its signature flake. It has a higher melting point than butter, so the fat stays distinct in the dough longer, creating those long flaky layers when the steam hits the oven. The trade-off is less flavor than an all-butter crust, which is why many bakers split the difference with a half-and-half blend.

The move that makes or breaks pastry is temperature. Cold shortening, ice water, and a quick hand. Any heat from your palms melts the fat and turns flake into mush. Cut, sprinkle, stir, stop. Don’t knead.

Mixture should look pebbly with visible bits of fat throughout, not smooth. Those visible chunks are what create flake. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time so you don’t drown the dough; the right amount is whatever brings it just barely together.

Pro Tips

• Chill flour and shortening before starting on warm days.
• Use a pastry blender or two knives, never a food processor for too long. It overworks the dough.
• Wrap dough tight in plastic and rest it 30 minutes before rolling so the gluten relaxes.
• Roll on a lightly floured surface from center outward, rotating the disc to keep it round.
• Yields enough for a 9-inch double-crust pie or one crust plus lattice top.

Variations

• Sub half the shortening with cold cubed butter for richer flavor.
• Add 1 tablespoon sugar for sweet pies; skip it for savory.
• Use lard in place of shortening for old-school flake and flavor.