Hello , I too watched my mom and my great aunts all my life , I am 63 years old now. My mom is 82 . what I have determined is this, back in the days I didn't have time to fool with measuring out ice water , and put it in the freezer and put it in the refrigerator, blah blah bka. Haha. ! And I love to bake more than anybody ! We had so many kids and Family waiting around to be fed , so everybody could get back out and get to work in the yard , or in the garden , or on the hayfield , that it was get it done the quickest way you know how !! Needless to say , Crisco or real Lard was always the staple as well as plain flour and in the case of biscuits or cornbread you darn well better have some "homemade " buttermilk on hand ! ( does anybody hear me now !? ). So therefore, I am saying that the less you handle your dough , and the less you stir it around in the bowl whether it be cornbread biscuits or Piecrust dough , The flakier it's going to be because by doing this you are allowing The ingredients to do exactly what they are meant to do , without being altered in anyway . 😀

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