Pie crusts:

 Achieving a perfect flaky texture in pie crusts requires attention to detail and a few essential techniques. Here's how you can achieve that:

1. Cold Ingredients: Use very cold butter, shortening, or lard in your pie crust recipe. Cold fats create steam as they melt in the oven, resulting in flaky layers. You can even chill the flour and other dry ingredients before starting.
2. Keep Everything Cold: Work quickly and avoid over-mixing the dough. The heat from your hands can soften the fats, so try to handle the dough as little as possible. If the dough starts to feel too soft, refrigerate it for a short while before continuing.
3. Use Ice Water: When adding water to the dough, use ice-cold water. The cold water helps keep the fats solid and prevents them from becoming too integrated into the flour, promoting flakiness.
4. Don't Overwork the Dough: Mix the dough just until it comes together. Overmixing can develop gluten, leading to a tough crust. You should still see small pieces of butter or fat in the dough; these will contribute to flakiness.
5. Folding and Rolling: After forming the dough, roll it out gently on a lightly floured surface. Fold it into thirds like a letter, rotate it 90 degrees, and repeat the process two more times. This creates layers in the dough, resulting in flakiness.
6. Chill Before Baking: Once you've lined your pie pan with the rolled-out dough, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before baking. Chilling helps relax the gluten and solidify the fats again, leading to better flakiness.
7. Vent the Crust: For fruit-filled pies, don't forget to cut slits or create decorative vents in the top crust. This allows steam to escape during baking, preventing a soggy crust.
8. Avoid Overfilling: Be mindful not to overfill your pie, as excessive juices can lead to a soggy bottom crust. You can also pre-cook the filling slightly to reduce excess moisture.
9. Bake at High Temperature: Start baking your pie at a high temperature (usually around 425°F or 220°C) for the first 15 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to the recommended level for the remaining bake time. This high initial heat helps to set the crust and promote flakiness.

By following these tips, you should be able to achieve a beautifully flaky pie crust that's sure to impress!