The ingredients that you need to prepare an all-purpose pastry dough are very basic; you may already have many of them on hand. The ingredients may be blended by hand, but an alternative is to blend them in a food processor.
Cutting In Shortening
Cut the shortening or butter into the flour using the metal blade just until the mixture resembles cornmeal, with a few large pieces remaining.
Incorporating Liquid
With the machine on, add the water. Stop just when all the water is added (do not allow the dough to form a ball).