Buttery Pie Crust

Directions

1. 1
   1.
2. 2
   Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.
3. 3
   Add the butter and mix together with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. 4
   2.
5. 5
   Mix the egg with the water in a small bowl.
6. 6
   Toss the mixture gently with the butter mixture until the dough comes together; do not overwork it.
7. 7
   Divide the dough in half.
8. 8
   Flatten each half with the palm of your hand to form a thick disk.
9. 9
   Wrap both disks in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
10. 10
    3.
11. 11
    Remove 1 disk of dough from the refrigerator.
12. 12
    Unwrap it and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface or between 2 sheets of wax paper to form a circle about 1/8-inch thick and 2 inches larger than the pie plate.
13. 13
    Work quickly, as the dough can become sticky.
14. 14
    4.
15. 15
    Use a spatula to help lift the dough and fold it loosely in half, then in quarters.
16. 16
    Gently transfer the dough to the pie plate, placing the corner of the dough in the center of the plate.
17. 17
    Open up the dough and press it lightly into the plate to fit.
18. 18
    (If the dough should tear, just press it gently together.)
19. 19
    Trim the dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang.
20. 20
    5.
21. 21
    Repeat the rolling process with the second disk of dough to make the top crust.
22. 22
    The circle of the top crust should be 10 inches in diameter.