Pastry brush

Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Alternatively, if making crust by hand, whisk the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl.

Place a few ice cubes in a small ramekin and fill with water. Stir with a tablespoon measure and set aside.

Remove the butter from the fridge and unwrap. Use a paring knife to cut it into several small cubes.

Scatter the cubes of butter over the surface of the flour. Attach the food processor lid and pulse 15 to 20 times until the mixture resembles cornmeal with pieces of butter no larger than a pea. Alternatively, cut the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingertips.

Remove the lid and sprinkle 4 tablespoons of ice water over the surface of the butter-flour mixture. Pulse a 4 to 5 times to combine. Check to see if the dough is holding together by squeezing a bit in your hand -- if it holds together, it's ready; if it breaks apart easily, add a little more water. Add more water a tablespoon at a time as needed. The final dough should not come together in a dough, but you should see no more powdery flour and the dough should just be starting to clump together in large crumbs. Alternatively, sprinkle the water over the flour and use two forks to toss the flour to combine. Test the dough and add more water as described above, handling the dough as little as possible with your hands.

Turn the pie dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide the dough into two piles. Use the palm of your hand to quickly gather and press each mound into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 days (or freeze for up to 3 months; defrost in the fridge overnight before using).

Remove one of the disks of dough from the fridge. Sprinkle your work surface and rolling pin with flour. Unwrap the dough and lay it on top of the flour. Working from the middle of the dough outward, roll the dough into a circle roughly 12 to 13 inches in diameter (a few inches larger than your pie pan). Use firm strokes and work the dough as little as possible. If the dough cracks when you first start rolling, let it stand for one minute to warm slightly before rolling again. Use more flour if the dough starts to stick. Use a pastry scraper to lift the pastry from the work surface and make sure it's not sticking.

Sprinkle the top of the pie crust and your rolling pin with a little flour. Lay your rolling pin on one edge of the pie crust and begin gently rolling the pie crust over the rolling pin. When it's all rolled up, move it to the pie pan and gently unroll. Ease the pie crust into the corners of the pan. Trim all but an inch or two of the pie dough from around the edge; use the trimmings to patch up any holes or tears.

Transfer the pie pan with pie crust to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.

While the crust is chilling, heat the oven to 425 F with a rack in the middle position.

While the crust is chilling, prepare the filling following your recipe's instructions.

Remove the pie pan with crust from the refrigerator and fill it with the prepared filling.

Remove the second disk of dough from the fridge. Following the same instructions for the bottom crust, roll it into a circle roughly 11 to 12 inches in diameter. Roll the pie crust over the rolling pin and transfer it to the top of the pie.

Trim the edges of the top crust. Press the top and the bottom crusts gently together and fold them under themselves around the circumference of the pie. (Some pie-makers roll their crusts the other way, and that's fine. Go with what feels right to you.) Crimp the edges or press them lightly with a fork to seal.

Brush the entire crust, including crimped edges, with the egg yolk wash. Use a sharp paring knife to cut several vents into the top crust to allow steam to escape.

Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and transfer to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.

Lower the heat and continue baking the pie for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling. If the edges of the crust start to darken too quickly, cover them with aluminum foil.

Let the pie cool on a cooling rack for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving. Leftovers can be covered with a cake dome or wrapped in plastic and kept on the counter for several days.

Recipe notes:

Butter crust vs. lard crust vs. mixed crust: Substitute lard or shortening for all or some of the butter in this recipe.

Fruit Filling: This recipe assumes that you're following another recipe for the pie filling. If not, general proportions for pie fillings are 5 to 6 cups chopped fruit, 3/4 to 1 cup sugar, 3 to 4 tablespoons cornstarch, and a squeeze of lemon.

(Emma Christensen is recipe editor at TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to kitchn@apartmenttherapy.com.)