Instructions

1. Remove the chilled butter from the refrigerator and dice it into small, uniform cubes. Place the diced butter back in the refrigerator to keep it cold.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and salt. Whisk together to ensure even distribution of the salt.
3. Add the chilled, diced butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
4. Gradually add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork. Stop adding water when the dough just begins to come together and can be pressed into a cohesive ball.
5. Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Gently press the dough together, forming it into a flat disk about 1-inch thick.
6. Wrap the dough disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up.
7. After chilling, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften slightly.
8. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick, rotating and flouring the surface as needed to prevent sticking.
9. Carefully transfer the rolled dough to your pie dish or tart pan, gently pressing it into the corners and trimming excess dough from the edges.
10. Crimp or decorate the edges as desired, then chill the prepared crust for 15 minutes before blind baking or filling according to your specific recipe.