Fill a 1 cup measuring cup halfway with ice. Fill the rest with water. Set aside.
Combine the flour and salt by whisking them together in a medium size bowl.
Slice up the shortening into grape or smaller sized pieces.
Cut the shortening in to the flour mixture either with a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers. The shortening bits should be about pea sized when you are done.
Sprinkle one tablespoon of the ice water over a small portion of the mixture and lightly toss it with a fork. Scooch that aside in the bowl, then take another tablespoon of water and moisten the next section of flour. Fluff it again with the fork and move it aside. Repeat until all the flour is moistened. Give the whole thing one last quick mix so it is all incorporated.
Scoop the flour out with your hands and gently form it into a ball.
Lightly flour the counter top and flatten the dough ball into a disc with your hands.
Sprinkle a rolling pin with four and roll the dough out to the desired size.
To move it, set the rolling pin on top of the dough. Gently lift one side of the dough and drape it over the rolling pin.
Move your pie plate right under the rolling pin and lay the dough over the pie plate.
Trim the pastry so there is about 1/2 inch sticking over the sides. Fold under to make a simple edge, or decorate as you like.
Bake as instructed by your recipe.
