If you are choosing to make your own pie dough, mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add shortening or lard, and using your hands or a pastry cutter, break into the flour until the fat is well distributed and is pea-sized.
Mix milk and water in a small bowl. Pour a bit of the mixture into the large bowl and mix. Keep adding milk/water mixture until the dough comes together. You may not need to use all the milk/water mixture. If you need more, add a teaspoon of water at a time.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Grease a 9 inch pie plate. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out into a 12 inch circle on a floured surface. Carefully place the dough into the pie plate, tucking it into the bottom sides, and making sure it's smooth. Flute or crimp the edges. Place pie into the freezer while you preheat the oven to 375¯F (190°C).
When the oven has preheated, take the pie crust from the freezer. Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Crunch the parchment paper up fist so that it will easily shape the crust. Fill the crust up with pie weights or dried beans. Bake pie crust for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are starting to brown.
Remove the pie from the oven, take out the baking beans and the parchment paper. With a fork, prick the bottom of the pie crust all over. Return the pie crust to the oven. Bake for a further 7-8 minutes, or until the bottom of the pie crust is just beginning to brown. Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.