I have been using a similar method for over a year to make truly delightfully crumbly tender pie crusts. I think the difference is that your method, in your words, creates a "hard, thick shell". That seems to be the result of heating the water and the fat together. To make truly tender crust for even the most delicate pie, I put the fat (I use both butter and shortening) into the bowl of my stand mixer, and heat the liquid (I use a combination of milk and water) in the microwave until it bubbles. I then pour the hot liquid over the fat and using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture until the fat is melted, and it becomes the consistency of mayonnaise. Only then do I add the dry ingredients.

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