Chill your Crisco, flour, bowl, and water before mixing—cold ingredients create steam pockets that produce maximum flakiness. Even pre-chill your rolling surface for best results.

Mix just until the dough comes together with pea-sized Crisco pieces visible throughout; overworking develops gluten and creates a tough, dense crust instead of a tender, flaky one.

Refrigerate your dough for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days) before rolling—this relaxes the gluten and prevents shrinkage during baking, ensuring crispy, perfectly shaped edges.

Prick the bottom and sides with a fork before blind baking to prevent large air bubbles and ensure even browning throughout the entire crust.

Bake at 425°F for the first 15 minutes to set the crust quickly, then reduce to 350°F—this initial high heat creates the signature golden-brown exterior while keeping the interior tender.