Awesome Pie Crust

I love, love love this crust. The original is in Dorie Greenspan's baking book. She uses shortening and makes it in the food processor; I use all butter and make it in the mixing bowl. If you haven't made a crust before, use this one--it's super-easy and tastes amazing.

Dorie Greenspan's Awesome Pie Crust, non-food processor style

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 T sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 sticks (14 T) very cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

About 1/4 cup ice water, or as needed

Put the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine, Add the butter and use your fingers to blend it into the dry ingredients. It doesn't need to be perfect what you're aiming for is to have some pieces the size of green peas and others the size of barley. Add 1 tablespoon of the water and blend in, then add water a little at a time to until the dough is evenly moistened--it should stick together when pinched. Big pieces of butter are fine. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto a work surface.

Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling.

To roll out the dough: Have a buttered 9-inch pie plate at hand.

You can roll the dough out on a floured surface or between sheets of wax paper. If you're working on a counter, turn the dough over frequently and keep the counter floured. If you are rolling between paper, plastic or in a slipcover, make sure to turn the dough over often and to life the paper, plastic or cover frequently so that it doesn't roll into the dough and form creases.

Fit the dough into the pie plate and, using a pair of scissors, cut the excess dough to a 1/4- to 1/2-inch overhang. Fold the dough under itself, so that it hangs over the edge just a tad, and flute or pinch the crust to make a decorative edge. Alternatively, you can finish the crust by pressing it with the tines of a fork. Freeze the crust for about 15 minutes while the oven heats.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Better the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil, fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust and fill with dried beans or rice or pie weights. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 25 mins. Carefully remove the foil and weights and, if the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. For a partially baked crust, return the pie plate to the oven and bake for about 8 minutes more, or until the crust is very lightly golden.