In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and set aside.

Cut 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter into pieces that are about 1 tablespoon each and add it to the dry ingredients along with 2 tablespoons lard. Gently toss the butter and lard into the dry ingredients. Then, press each pad of butter and lard between your fingertips to slightly break it apart (we want really big pieces of fat here).

Once all the fat has been gently worked into the dry ingredients, begin to add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, gently mixing with your fingertips after each addition. Once you’ve added about ½ cup of water, you can begin to mix more thoroughly to form a shaggy ball of dough.

Press the dough into a rough ball with both hands, keep this ball separate from whatever ingredients do not stay in the ball or are left in the bowl (in essence, separating what is still dry ingredients from what has been hydrated by the ice water). Sprinkle more ice water over the dry ingredients only, mixing until they are moistened.

Now, work the entirety of the crust into a ball, sprinkling with a few more drops of ice water. The dough is properly hydrated when it is neither crumbling apart or sticking to your fingers when pressed. The pie crust should be able to be pressed and still hold together, with only a few fine cracks along the surface.

Transfer pie crust from mixing bowl to a large piece of plastic wrap and sprinkle with a few more drops of ice water before wrapping tightly and pressing into a disk. (If you’re planning on make pie bars you can pat the dough into a rectangle to make things easier later on.)

Place in a zip-top plastic bag, squeezing out the excess air before sealing. Refrigerate crust for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin.

If you’ve chilled the dough overnight, allow it to sit out for 10 – 15 minutes before rolling so it’s not rock solid.

Lightly flour the top of the pie dough disk and working from the center out, gently stretch the dough with the rolling pin. Be very careful not to push, pull, or force the dough. It’s all about being gentle and it takes a bit of time.

Every so often rotate the crust to ensure it is not sticking to the work surface, adding more flour to the work space, rolling pin, or top of the crust, as necessary.

When the crust has been rolled to ¼ inch or less in thickness, transfer it to your pie pan by gently folding it over your rolling pin and letting it gently fall into the pan.

Trim any excess crust greater than ½ inch along the edge of the pan before tucking the edges into the pan and crimping with your fingers, a fork, or leaving it be. Cover the pan lightly in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

Chill the crust in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before continuing with your pie recipe!