"Default User" > wrote
> Nowdays, I make butter-crust pie dough, and press it into the pan
> rather than rolling out a crust. I saw a pastry chef do that on a
> cooking show. Works great, never leaks, easier and faster.

Honestly, that sounds more difficult to me than just rolling out the pie
crust! Once you get the recipe and technique down, making a good, flaky pie
crust is very easy. I switched to butter a long time ago, and it works well
with good flavor in the standard recipes. Not quite as flaky as lard, which
is best, but I don't like using the partially hydrogenated lards which are
about all that's available these days - very unhealthy. I've been making
wonderful, flaky butter crusts for a couple decades now, just super-easy
once you learn. Note: I could *not* ever roll a decent crust from those
mixes, which are disgusting anyway, as are the already-prepared crusts.
Homemade is *so* much better. Here's how I do it, a few iconoclastic
elements here.

I just cut up the butter over the bowl of flour, in small chunks using a
paring knife. Then work it in using a pastry blender or (more commonly) my
fingers, pressing to work flat flakes of the butter into the flour, working
quickly (that's important) until the butter is in lots of tiny flat flakes
or small granules. The pastry blender is best when the weather is warm,
though. I never measure the water, as it varies so much from flour to flour.
Just mix some in quickly with a fork and keep sprinkling and lightly
stirring until the dough holds together mostly in a ball, then gently knead
to mix, pat into a ball, let rest for a few minutes... or not, I often do
not. I do NOT chill before rolling - that makes the fat pieces hard and the
dough more likely to tear. Just work quickly. If I get the dough a little
too wet, sprinkling lots of flour on the board when rolling will soak up
excess and not make too much difference in texture. It'll still be good.

Key is a good non-stick surface to roll out. I started on a wood breadboard.
You have to use quite a bit of flour to keep from sticking. Then they came
out with the big Tupperware sheets, which are excellent - they still make
these. But my favorite is a big 24-inch square marble slab, best of all. I
use a standard wooden rolling pin. You need to use enough flour on the sheet
to avoid sticking, then sprinkle more on the top of the dough and dust the
pin also.

Rolling out a nice crust takes some practice. Again, I don't like to work
with very chilled dough. And... the hardest is when you have a mingey
little bit of dough. I *always* make more than I need so that I have a
generous big ball, then trim the outside to the approximate size after
rolling out, roll the sheet of dough loosely around the rolling pin and
re-roll out onto the pie plate. Gently redistribute so the dough isn't
stretched. For leaky fillings, be sure the dough isn't rolled too thin.
Having a double recipe at hand ensures you can have a reasonably thick crust
if you like. (You can use the leftover dough for tarts or roll out, cut in
squares and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar +/- finely chopped nuts
for treats kids (and grownups) really love.)

When the crust is in the plate, trim around the edge (I often use my kitchen
scissors) and make whatever decorative edge you like. I usually trim about
an inch outside the plate edge, then roll under to make a double-thick edge
and flute with my fingers.

Once you learn what the dough looks like, feels like when the water amount
is right, and how to roll out the dough, it's a very quick and simple
process. I'm sure I'd have a much harder time pressing a dough evenly into a
plate. Cleanup would be simpler however!

Hannah