How to Make Perfect Pastry

Stir flour and salt together in mixing bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in shorten-ing thoroughly. Particles should be size of tiny peas. Sprinkle water in the flour,a tablespoon at a time. Mix lightly with a fork after each tablespoon of wateruntil all flour is moistened. More or less water might be needed. Mix doughthoroughly until it cleans the sides of the bowl. After this point we have devel-oped just the right amount of gluten for tender, flaky crust. Gather the dough to-gether with your hands and press firmly into a ball, if dough does not hold to-gether, 1 to 2 teaspoon water may be added. To roll pastry, use a pastry clothinto which flour has been rubbed. Using rolling pin roll across the flouredboard. For two-crust pie, divide the dough in half. Place half of dough cut sidedown. Flatten dough in circle to provide starting point for rolling out the pastry.Roll from center to outside edges in all four directions. For even thickness liftrollingpintoward edge. If edges begin to bread, pinch together at once. Keeppastrycircular and roll it about 1/2 inch larger all around than inverted pie pan.Fold pastry in half. Carefully transfer to pie pan. Unfold. To prevent stretching,ease pastry gently into pan and press toward center of pan with fingertips,stretching causes shrinkage during baking.Tender, flaky pastry depends upon the amount and extent of gluten in the dough.So mixing and handling are of utmost importance. These proportions of flour,shortening and water are just right for perfect pastry if you follow the directionscarefully.If lard is used, reduce amount to 1/3 cup for one crust, and 1/2 cup fortwo-crust pie, since lard has more shortening power than hydrogenated shorten-ing.