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I use shortening in my pies, and they are reckoned to be very good, if I do say so myself. Here is my flaky pastry recipe.

3 cups all-purpose flour (400g, 14.4 oz)
0.5 cups unsalted butter (114g, 4 oz)
0.5 cups shortening (114g, 4 oz)
1 tbsp granulated sugar (15mg)
1 tsp salt (5mg)
1 cup water

1 beaten egg
1-2 tbsp sugar

Mix the dry ingredients. Cut the butter and shortening into acorn sized lumps. Using a mixer, pastry knife or a pair of table knives, mix in the fat until the butter lumps are the size of small peas. You can hand-fondle any remaining lumps to size. Don’t overmix, as can occur when you use a mixer. If the dough has the consistency of breadcrumbs, you’ve gone too far. In fact, when using a mixer, I turn if off early and do the rest by hand. Just to be sure. Those little lumps of fat are going to create pockets in the pastry while in the oven, which is where the pastry’s flake comes from. If the butter and shortening are mixed too thoroughly into the flour, you’ll wind up with a dense, heavy pastry.

Add the water bit by bit while mixing. (A mixer is invaluable here.) Watch the dough carefully, because you may not need all the water. You want the dough moist enough to clump together, but not wet. How much water the pastry will want depends on the humidity, temperature, and probably the phase of the moon. Temperamental stuff, pastry. When I make pies at our summer cabin, I always need to add the full amount of water, but at home, never. And again, do not overmix.

Dump out the dough onto a floured surface and knead it gently by folding it over 5 or 6 times, just enough so it is holding together. Overmixing or too much kneading at this stage will lead to tough and chewy pastry, because you will have over-activated the gluten in the flour.

Divide the dough into two halves, wrap with cling film plastic, and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour. If you’re in a hurry and don’t have that much time, you probably shouldn’t have tried to make pies today.

Make your filling, and put that in the refrigerator too. Side note: whatever your filling, be sure to mitigate its moisture content with enough flour, cornstarch, chia seeds or what have you, and avoid adding excess liquid when ladling your filling into the pie. Too much liquid and your pie will come out of the oven with a soggy bottom.

When your dough has chilled long enough, haul out one half and roll it out on a floured surface to fit your pie pan. Ceramic pie pans are best because they conduct and evenly distribute heat super well. However, glass pans are fine, plus they allow you to check the bottom of the pie as it bakes, which is arguably more important when you are still getting used to a recipe. The dough should hang over the edge of the pie pan.

Add filling. As above, the less liquid the better. Put the uncovered pie in the fridge.

Roll out the second half of the dough on a floured surface and cover the filling, so that the dough hangs over the edge of the pie pan. You want enough so that you can pinch and roll the bottom and top dough together to create a seal, and that raised crust around the edge. Cut off any excess before your pinchrolling activity or you’ll end up with an uneven or overly thick crust.

I press my thumb into the crust to create a sort of scallop pattern. Do whatever you must, just make sure the crust seals the top and bottom together.

Beat an egg and brush it lightly onto the pie surface to create a lovely browning effect in the oven. Sprinkle sugar on the top also if you’re into that.

Cut some blowholes into the pie with a sharp knife so it can breathe while baking. Don’t do this and you can expect exploded pie guts all over your oven. I used to put fancy scrollwork into my pies for vents but now just stab them with XXXs.

Bake at 375 F (190 C) for about an hour. Check the pie after 50 minutes. When ready to come out, the pie should have brown highlights, and the bottom—if you can check through a glass pan—should be a golden brown. The filling will probably bubble out of the vents a bit. Don’t be afraid to keep baking for 10 or even 15 minutes past the hour if that’s what it needs. You’re more likely to underbake than overbake, in my experience.

Let cool, then serve it forth.

General Tip: Keep the ingredients cold, even going so far as to put them in the refrigerator or freezer before you begin. While you’re working, everything you don’t need immediately should go back in the refrigerator until you do. Even put ice cubes in your water. Really.

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