Blend flour and salt in large bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture using pastry blender or fork. (Another option; I like to use a food processor). Stir in just enough water with fork until dough holds together. TIP - Test dough for proper moistness by squeezing a marble-sized ball of dough in your hand. If it holds together firmly, do not add any additional water. If the dough crumbles, add more water by the tablespoonful, until dough is moist enough to form a smooth ball when pressed together.
Shape dough into a ball. Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Sprinkle your surface, dough and rolling pin with flour and roll your dough out, starting from the center and gently rolling outwards. Lift your dough periodically and move it around, to make sure the bottom isn’t sticking. You may have to occasionally put more flour on your rolling pin and work surface. Roll the dough into a circular shape. It should be about 2 inches wider than the pie plate. Roll the dough loosely onto the rolling pin, brushing the excess flour away with a pastry brush, and transfer the dough to the pie plate, gently patting the bottom into the corners of pie plate. Pat around the top edges, lightly pressing the dough onto the pie plate. Take a knife and go around the pie plate, cutting off the excess dough hanging over the edge.
There are lots of different ways to finish off the edges of a pie such as pinch crimping, fork crimping and pastry cut-outs. For a braided edge, roll and cut the remaining pastry into 12 long thin strips, of about ¾ of an inch or 2 cm width. Braid the strips. You’ll need about 4 braided pieces. Brush the rim of the crust with beaten egg. Lay the braids on the edge, gently overlapping the pieces together. Cut out a few leaf shapes with a leaf cutter and place on the seams. Brush the braids with beaten egg.
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Make sure the oven rack is on the lower third of the oven.
Place your pie onto a baking sheet to save the oven from possible spillovers. I like to place a pie crust shield onto the pie to protect the edges from getting too brown. If you don’t have one you can cover the edges with aluminum foil.
Pour the filling (recipe below), into the pie and bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and continue baking until the outside of the pumpkin filling is firm, and the middle isn’t quite set, for approximately 1 hour.
Take your pie out and pour the pecan streusel (recipe below), on top and bake for another 15 minutes to brown and melt the streusel. Let your pie cool completely. Ideally, leave it in the fridge overnight. See finishing touches - dulche de leche, below.