Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
PREPARE THE FILLING
In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, and salt.
Peel and slice the peaches. Place in a medium bowl.
Pour the sugar mixture over peaches and gently stir to mix.
Make the Pastry Crust
In a medium sized bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour and salt. Add in the vegetable shortening and cut in with a blending fork until crumbly.
Add 1/4 cup water and mix. Then add the rest of the water to finish mixing the dough. Dough should hold together in a ball. Divide into two parts.
Assemble the Pie
To assemble the pie, roll out the dough for the bottom crust on a floured surface the size of your pie plate. Fold it in half and carefully transfer it to a 9″ or 10″ pie plate, allowing the edges to fold over the plate.
Transfer the peach filling to the bottom crust. Add bits of butter to the filling.
With your fingers, spread cold water around edge of the crust to ensure a good seal.
Roll out the top crust, again just a bit bigger than your pie plate. Make slits in the crust so your pie can breath.
Fold the dough in half, and carefully position it over the peaches to fit the pie plate.
Remove excess dough by pressing your hands against the top edges of the dough. Crimp edges to seal.
Add a sugar topping, by spreading whole milk over the top crust with your fingers. Then sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
Bake in a preheated oven on the next to bottom rack for 45-50 minutes until crust is golden brown.
Allow the pie to cool for at least an hour before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 8-10.
Notes
*Unless otherwise indicated, all butter used on this recipe site is salted.