Mix flour, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Add shortening and combine using a pastry blender or a fork. Mix until crumbly and only small bits of solid shortening remain.
Add 4 tablespoons of water and stir mixture until the liquid absorbs and the mixture comes together into a dough. Add more water, if needed; a tablespoon at a time, until a dough ball forms.
Lightly flour surface or countertop. Place dough ball in the center of the flour. Using a rolling pin roll dough into a circular shape. If the dough is sticking to the rolling pin add a bit more flour. Roll until the dough circle is about 2 inches larger than pie pan.
Transfer dough to pie plate: Either place the rolling pin in the center of the pie dough and roll the dough on the rolling pin. Transfer the dough to the plate by rolling it out over the pie plate. Otherwise, fold the dough into fourths and unroll the dough in the pie plate.
Continue with your pie recipe.
Blind baked pie crust: bake 35-40 minutes at 375 °F until lightly brown. Line with parchment paper and fill with dried bean or uncooked rice to prevent the crust from puffing up during baking.