On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:01:05 -0700 (PDT), "
> wrote:

> The trouble most people have with homemade pie crust is they don't
> know when to leave it alone. First, they cut the shortening in too
> much so the crust comes out mealy rather than flaky. If you want a
> flaky crust you need to leave large chunks of shortening. Second,
> people tend to over mix the dough. If it's not coming together and
> seems dry, don't be afraid to add a few more drops of water.

My problem was that I added too much water. It didn't look like it
was coming together, so I'd add more water. It was tough and awful.
As soon as I found the FP recipe, my pie crust mojo changed for the
better and I'd rather make my own now. I use the +1T extra water
option and it's right every time.

> Once
> the dough comes together, knead it lightly maybe 5 or 6 times so it
> stays together, wrap it up, and refrigerate it for at least 30
> minutes.

Nope. I keep my paws off it except the amount of handling it needs to
make it a nice disk with even edges.

> The third mistake people make is they try to roll out the
> crust as soon as they take it out of the refrigerator. Let it warm up
> 5 - 10 minutes. You'll be able to roll it out without overstretching
> it. One trick I always do is roll the dough out on waxed paper. That
> way I can pick up the waxed paper with the rolled out crust on it,
> flip it over into the pie pan, and then simply peel it off.

I roll it around my rolling pin or fold it into quarters, which works
for me - but my kitchen is cool, so I don't need to worry about the
crust sticking to anything.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.