Pastry Shell

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces and mix with the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add water and stir with a fork until the dough rolls into a ball. Quickly knead the dough until smooth, then shape the dough into a 1-inch-thick disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle. Roll out the dough on a rolling pin and place it in a pie dish. Prick on all sides with a fork. Line the dough wrapper with a 15-inch sheet of aluminum foil so that the edges hang down from the top. Freeze for 15 minutes.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place 2 cups of dried beans in a foil shell. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil and remove the beans, and bake for another 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before filling.