Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, toss 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1 Tbsp granulated sugar.

Add the butter: Cut 1 cup unsalted butter into 1/2-inch cubes and freeze for 10-15 minutes. Add it to the bowl and toss until every cube is coated in flour.

Flatten the butter: Press each cube flat between your thumb and index finger, working quickly so it stays cold. Keep tossing and gently rubbing until you have a mix of flat, half-walnut-size pieces and smaller pea-size ones. More big pieces make a flakier crust.

Add the water: Make a well in the center and add all but 2 tablespoons of the 1/2 cup ice water. Toss with your fingers until everything is evenly moistened. Don't knead; kneading makes the crust tough.

Check the dough: Squeeze a handful. If it holds together, stop adding water. If it crumbles, add the rest of the water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing after each one. If it's sticky, sprinkle in a little more flour.

Press it together: Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and press it into a mound with both hands, without kneading or folding. If a patch stays dry, sprinkle a few drops of water on just that spot and press it in.

Shape: Divide the dough in half and shape each piece into a 6-inch disk. Wrap each disk well.

Chill: Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. The flour soaks up the water, the gluten relaxes, and the butter firms up. The dough is less crumbly, rolls out more easily, and shrinks less.

Take out one disk: Keep the other in the fridge. If the dough is too firm to roll, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes.

Flour the counter: Lightly flour the counter and the rolling pin. Move the disk around to coat the bottom, then flip it and do the same.

Roll: Roll from the center out into a 12-inch circle, turning the dough a quarter turn every few rolls so it stays round. If it starts to stick or soften, chill it for 10-15 minutes.

Roll it onto the pin: Roll the crust loosely around the rolling pin, then unroll it over a 9-inch pie plate, centering it.

Press it in: Ease the dough into the corners and up the sides without stretching it. Stretched dough shrinks in the oven.

Trim: Trim the dough with kitchen shears, leaving about 1 inch of overhang.

Fold the edge under: Tuck the overhang under itself and press it onto the rim, so the crust doesn't slide down as it bakes. Keep the edge a little thick so the fluting holds.

Flute: Make a V with the thumb and index finger of one hand on the outside of the rim. With your other index finger, push the dough into the V from the inside and down onto the rim at the same time. Repeat all the way around.

Chill: Refrigerate the crust for 20-30 minutes while you make the filling. Cover it if it will sit longer.