Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. With a pastry cutter, blend in shortening or butter until mixture is coarse. Sprinkle in lower amount of water; mix just until dough holds its shape, adding the rest of the water if needed. Do not knead dough.

Divide into 2 balls. Cover and refrigerate 1 until needed for the top. Roll out the other on a floured surface to at least 1 inch larger than your inverted pie pan. Lightly fold in half, pick up and lay into pie pan. Trim edges to a little larger than the pan. Refrigerate while making filling.

Assembly and Baking Prepare pie dough as above. Preheat oven to 400°. Mix pie filling (recipes next page). Roll out dough for the top crust, large enough to overhang side of pie pan. Place filling into pie shell, and dot with bits of 1 tablespoon butter if desired. Lay top crust over filling, and trim just a bit smaller than bottom crust. Fold the edge of the top crust over the edge of the bottom crust, pressing to make a seal. Next pinch the folded dough between your first two fingers and your thumb to make a scalloped and sealed ridge. With a sharp paring knife, cut several slits in the top crust to vent steam. Place pan in center rack of preheated oven; after 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 350°. Bake 40–50 more minutes, or just until juices are bubbly in the middle. If the crust is getting too dark, protect the edges with a prepared circle of foil (aluminum baking rims are available for this). Allow pie to cool on a cooling rack in a breezy spot. Fruit pies don’t need refrigeration and usually fare better on the counter. This will also guarantee that they will be eaten for breakfast!