Three secrets of
the shortcrust pastry of the gods:
Twice as much flour as fat.
It's gotta be cold.
Don't overwork the dough!
So, make your pastry, shape it loosely into a roll, wrap in clingfilm and stick in the fridge for at least 1 hour - more if it's summer in a hot climate. To actually line the pan with pastry, cut off slices from your roll and place then, jigsaw-style, side by side, applying light pressure to the seams. The less you manhandle the pastry, the crustier, fluffier and shorter it will be.
Never make shortcrust pastry with sugar. It melts in the cooking and completely ruins the desired consistency of the pie crust. Anyway, the filling needs to be sweet enough to compliment the savoury, tangy crust.