Pie Crust (Shortcrust Pastry)

Pulse Dry: Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Pulse twice to combine

Cut in butter: Scatter butter across surface. Pulse 5 times until the largest pieces are the size of chickpeas

Add chilled water: With the motor running on low, pour 2.5 tbsp of water into the tube feeder

Form crumbs: Keep blitzing for 10 seconds until crumbs form (also see video). Pinch between fingers - they should stick and form a dough

HAND option: Whisk flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Rub butter into flour with tips of fingers until it resembles crumbs - it should look the same as using a food processor. Then mix in cold water with rubber spatula, then proceed with steps below

Form disc: Tip crumbs out onto work surface, bring together into dome (don't knead), pat into 2cm/ 4/5" thick disc

Chill: Wrap in clingwrap then refrigerate 1 hour (up to 2 days, otherwise freeze)

Dust with flour: Sprinkle work surface with flour, unwrap dough and place on the flour. Sprinkle top with flour, dust rolling pin with flour

Roll out: Roll out into round that's 10cm/4" larger than 22.5cm/9" pie tin. Patch up and roll over cracks as necessary

Transfer to pie dish: Gently roll the pastry so it wraps around the rolling pin. Unroll it over the pie dish

Drape pastry into pie tin (do not stretch/pull, causes shrinkage)

Trim: If making a pie with NO LID (like Pumpkin Pie), then trim edges with scissors leaving a 1 cm / 2/5" overhang. If making a pie with a lid (like a Meat Pie) then trim edges so they align with the edge of the pie tin (ie no excess overhang)

Tuck excess under, if appliable (ie per step above, if making a no lid pie). Then crimp or decorate edge as desired

Refrigerate: Put pie crust in the freezer for 15 - 30 minutes (while oven heats up). This helps prevent shrinkage, firms up the butter again (flakiness!) and helps to ensure decorative crimped edges remain in tact

Baking options (Note 4) - Blind bake the pie crust if it will be baked once filled (eg Meat Pie, Pumpkin Pie). Fully bake the pie crust if it will not be baked once filled

Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan)

Line & weigh down: Place 2 large pieces of parchment/baking paper crosswise over the pastry, then fill with baking beads or lots of rice or dried beans to weigh it down. (Note 2)

Bake 1 covered: Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven

Bake 2 uncovered: Use excess paper to CAREFULLY remove hot beads, then return to oven for 5 minutes or until base is light golden (doesn't need to be 100% cooked though)

Cool: Remove from oven. Cool 15 minutes in the pie tin before filling (another measure to avoid soggy base)

Follow directions per Blind Baking steps above BUT bake at 190°C/375°F (170°C fan) covered with baking beads for 25 minutes, then 15 minutes uncovered until golden. Fully cool before filling

Fill and bake per directions of chosen pie filling - such as Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Meat Pie. The par baked pastry will not be 100% cooked, it finishes cooking with the filling. It's cooked enough so the crust will not go soggy