Pies and tarts: a note on dough

I make a lot of pies and tarts, a lot of people ask me about the crusts so here is my basic crust recipe.

This is a standard ratio 3 dry to 1 fat for a crust.

For a double pie crust:
3 cups flour
1 cup butter (chilled or frozen butter) cut into small cubes
1/4 tsp salt
If you want a savoury crust add 1 tablespoon sugar or less
If you want a sweet crust, add 1/4 cup of sugar
6-10 tablespoons of water

Combine flour, butter, sugar, salt well with a pastry blender seen here (http://www.pastrychef.com/PASTRY-BLENDER_p_1157.html). Some chunks of butter may remain, but thats fine, you want the mixture to be touched as little as possible and kept cold. Add a few tablespoons of water and cut it into the mixture with the pastry blender until it begins to pull together. Add a little more water and combine the rest with your hands until it forms a ball. So not over kneed or blend, and touch very little. break into two balls and wrap in plastic or cover bowl with towel.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes and then roll out.

If you want to make a pastry for a tart, the only difference will be the addition of one or two eggs depending on size and the ratio is 2 to 1 flour to fat

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup chilled butter
If you want a sweet crust, 1/4 cup sugar (I like brown for this).
If you want a savoury crust use 1/4 tsp salt plus below and only a dash of sugar.
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg , beaten

Much like the pie, but to bring everything together you use egg instead of water.