All-Butter Pie Crust (Shortcrust Pastry)

Step 1: Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse twice to combine.

Step 2: Scatter the butter over the flour mixture. Pulse 5 times, until the largest pieces are about the size of chickpeas.

Step 3: With the motor running on low, pour 2 1/2 tablespoons of water into the tube feeder.

Step 4: Continue processing for 10 seconds, until crumbs form. Pinch some crumbs between your fingers; they should stick together and form a dough.

Tip: If the mixture stays sandy, the accompanying directions say to add another 1/2 tablespoon of cold water and blitz again.

Step 5: By hand: Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles crumbs. Mix in the cold water with a rubber spatula, then continue with the next step.

Step 6: Tip the crumbs onto a work surface and bring them together into a dome without kneading. Pat into a disc about 2 cm / 4/5 inch thick.

Step 7: Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour. It can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; freeze it for longer storage.

Step 8: Sprinkle the work surface with flour. Unwrap the dough and place it on the floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour and dust the rolling pin with flour.

Step 9: Roll the dough into a round that is 10 cm / 4 inches larger than a 22.5 cm / 9-inch pie tin. Patch any cracks and roll over them as needed.

Step 10: Gently roll the pastry around the rolling pin, then unroll it over the pie dish.

Step 11: Drape the pastry into the pie tin without stretching or pulling it, which can cause shrinkage.

Step 12: For a pie without a lid, trim the edges with scissors, leaving a 1 cm / 2/5-inch overhang. For a pie with a lid, trim the edges level with the edge of the tin, with no overhang.

Step 13: For a pie without a lid, tuck the excess pastry under. Crimp or decorate the edge as desired.

Step 14: Put the pie crust in the freezer for 15–30 minutes while the oven heats. This helps prevent shrinkage, firms the butter and helps decorative crimped edges hold their shape.

Step 15: Choose a baking method: blind-bake the crust if it will be baked again once filled, or fully bake it if it will not be baked once filled.

Step 16: Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan).

Step 17: Place 2 large pieces of parchment or baking paper crosswise over the pastry. Fill with baking beads, or plenty of rice or dried beans, to weigh it down.

Step 18: Bake covered for 15 minutes, then remove the pie crust from the oven.

Step 19: Using the excess paper, carefully remove the hot beads. Return the crust to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the base is light golden; it does not need to be fully cooked.

Step 20: Remove from the oven and cool in the pie tin for 15 minutes before filling.

Step 21: Follow the blind-baking directions, but bake at 190°C / 375°F (170°C fan) with baking beads for 25 minutes, then bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

Step 22: Fill and bake according to the directions for your chosen pie filling, such as pumpkin, pecan or meat pie. A par-baked crust is not fully cooked; it finishes cooking with the filling.