Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus chilling time for the crust
Servings: Makes 1 (9-inch) pie
Note: Adapted from Ashley Putz of Buffalo Chips Emporium in Amador City, Calif.
Crust
2 1/2 cups (10.6 ounces) flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into large cubes
Ice water
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
Cut in the vegetable shortening using a pastry cutter, two knives or a fork, just until the shortening is reduced to the size of large peas.
Stir in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the ingredients come together to just form a dough, about 4 tablespoons ice water.
Press the contents together into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough at least 1 hour to give it time to relax and chill.
Filling and assembly
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar, plus extra for dusting the top of the pie
5 tablespoons flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
1 pound blackberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Prepared crust
Water for brushing the dough to seal the crust
Heat the oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the salt, sugar and flour. Gently stir in the blackberries, then drizzle over the lemon juice and gently stir to combine. Set aside the bowl while you shape the crust.
Remove the crust from the refrigerator and roughly divide in half (make one half slightly larger for the bottom crust). Wrap and refrigerate the smaller half of dough while you roll out and fill the bottom crust.
On a well-floured board, roll the dough to a diameter of about 13 inches; the dough will be very thin and fragile. (It might help to roll the dough on a large sheet of floured parchment or wax paper. The dough then can be more easily lifted and inverted over the pie dish.)
Gently lift and center the dough over a 9-inch pie dish; if the dough cracks, simply press the crack together to seal, or patch with a little leftover dough. Press the dough into the pie dish, making sure to remove any air bubbles from underneath the dough.
Fill the pie shell with the fruit filling. Brush the edge of the dough lightly with water (this will help the top crust adhere to the shell).
Remove the remaining dough from the refrigerator and roll in the same manner as the bottom crust to a diameter of 10 to 11 inches; this will be the top crust. Gently center the dough over the filling. Tuck the edges of the top crust around the bottom crust to seal the pie, pressing the two dough halves together, using your fingers to crimp the edge.
Sprinkle a generous coating of sugar over the top of the pie, then slit the top crust to create vents. Bake the pie in the center of the oven until the crust is lightly golden and set, and the filling is bubbly, about 1 hour. Cool before serving.