ingredients and utensils and that you understand all of the directions. Many
mistakes have been made skipping steps.
Cold ingredients are essential to making a great pie crust It even helps to have
cold bowls and utensils. In addition, be sure to chill the dough for at least an
hour before rolling it out. Keeping the shortening cold ensures a nice flaky
crust!
Don’t overwork or overhandle the dough. Your shortening/butter should be
coated with flour mixture, not blended with it. Over-processing causes gluten
to form, a substance that toughens the dough. It’s even a good idea to have
cold hands before handling.
Carefully transfer the dough into your pie dish. Fit the dough into the dish (avoid
stretching). Trim the dough to 1″ inch over hang and tuck it under itself to
create a thick rim.
With the index finger on one hand, press the dough against the thumb and
forefinger of the opposite hand; continue around the perimeter of the crust
and dish following the natural flute of the Emile Henry pie dish.
To ensure that your bottom crust is finished, bake pie in the lower third of the
oven. You may have to cover the edges with foil or a crust protector to avoid
overbrowning the edges.
Make sure that all of your ingredients are really fresh. Try making fruit pies
when the fruits are in season to ensure a wonderful pie.