1 cup freshly ground WW flour (or experiment with other grains)
1 stick of unsalted butter (or equivalent)
pinch of sea salt
cold water as needed
extra flour for rolling dough out
make sure the butter is nice and cold. straight out of the freezer is best. having the flour and bowl chilled as well helps, and working in a cooler place. this helps the butter pieces stay separate, which leads to a flakier crust.
as the grated (or sliced) fat is added it must be stirred with the flour to keep it from sticking together.
when all the fat has been added, begin to work in cold water by the teaspoon until the dough will form into a ball when squeezed. if it is sticky you have added too much water. work the dough as little as possible. overworking can melt the fat and then you won't get a flaky crust.
press ball of dough onto floured surface. cracks are sure to form on the edges. practice rolling the dough in a way that reduces cracking. it takes a certain technique that is hard to describe. i roll the cracks together at the edges rather than always rolling straight out from the center, which seems to spread the cracks.
be careful to keep the dough from sticking to the surface! turn it a couple times early on and then less after an outer layer of flour has covered the dough. carefully use a spatula or other scraping tool if it gets stuck.
slide the flattened dough into the pie pan carefully. this pat also takes some practice. then you can do what you want with any finishing touches. if you want a pie top just do a double batch of dough. some folks say lard makes the best pie crust. i'll have to try that next time!
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