Place the dry ingredients into a bowl. Mix them well.

Add the shortening or butter.

Cut the fat into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or with two butter knives. When the fat is cut into the dry ingredients, it will be pea-sized.

Place a few cubes of ice and water into a separate bowl. Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time.

Mix the dough by hand to more easily judge how moist the dough is. Only add enough water to moisten the flour mixture.

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and form it into a ball.

Wrap the ball in plastic and flatten into a rounded disk.