Combine half to two-thirds of flour with salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse twice to incorporate. Spread butter slices evenly over surface. Process until no dry flour remains and dough collects in a clumps. Use a rubber spatula to spread the dough evenly around the bowl of the food processor. Sprinkle with remaining flour and pulse until dough is just barely broken up. Transfer dough to a large bowl.

Sprinkle with water. Then, using a rubber spatula, fold and press dough until it comes together into a ball. Dough will be sticky. Divide ball in half. Form each half into a 4-inch disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before rolling and baking.

When ready to shape the dough, pull out one ball, set it on a well-floured work surface, and sprinkle with more flour. Use a tapered rolling pin to start rolling the dough out into a circle, lifting the dough and rotating it while rolling to achieve an even shape. Continue rolling, changing the angle of your rolling pin as you go to get an even shape and thickness. The finished dough should overhang your pie plate by an inch or two.

Pick up the dough by carefully rolling it around your rolling pin, using your bench scraper to help lift it off the work surface. Unroll it over a pie plate. Gently lift and fit the dough into the pie plate, getting down into the corners.

For a single-crusted pie, use a pair of scissors to trim the dough so that it overhangs the edge by 1 inch all around. Tuck the overhanging edge under all the way around the pie. Flute the edges of the pie crust using the forefinger of one hand and the thumb and forefinger of the other. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight (for a top crust, lay flat on baking sheet to chill). (Single crust pie shells can be frozen at this point, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, for up to a month. Do not thaw before proceeding to next step.)

To blind bake a single crust: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Just before baking, remove crust from refrigerator and line completely with aluminum foil (use enough foil to cover edges of pie). Cover bottom of lined crust with a layer of ceramic pie weights. Place on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Lift an edge of the foil carefully: if bottom of crust is not browned, bake another 10 minutes or so until it is. Remove from oven, carefully lift foil with weights off of crust. Optional for extra crispiness: Put crust back in oven but turn off the heat and prop door open with a wooden spoon. Let sit in oven for an hour. Cool completely before filling.

For a double-crusted pie, fill and drape your second round of pie dough over the top. Trim dough to a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the overhanging edges under all the way around the pie. Flute the edges of the pie crust using the forefinger of one hand and the thumb and forefinger of the other. Brush top crust with a lightly beaten egg white, sprinkle with sugar, and cut vent holes in the top with a sharp knife before baking per recipe.