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Don't be intimidated by the prospect of rolling out your own pie dough. Here are some simple guidelines.

To prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface (the most common complaint) keep the surface dusted with flour at all times.

To roll, start by placing the rolling pin in the center of the dough, and roll outwards using light pressure. Rotate the dough a quarter turn, dust the surface again with flour, and continue rolling. This not only helps keep the dough from sticking, but also forms the dough into a circle, and keeps the dough at an even thickness.

When the dough is the correct size, loosely roll it around the floured rolling pin, then unwrap the dough, draping it over a pie pan. Ease the dough along the bottom and into the edges of the pan. Decoratively crimp the edges. The pie shell is ready to be filled and baked.

In future pie making efforts, brush a little lightly beaten egg white onto the bottom crust before you add the filling. It will stop the juices leaking into the pastry but won't affect the flavor.

Choose the right ingredients:

Use bleached all purpose flour; the protein content is just right for a strong yet tender crust.

Use a combination of shortening and butter. Shortening, which coats the flour particles nicely, affers great texture and tenderness but lacks flavor. Butter, on the other hand, contributes excellent flavor, and it remains in small pieces while mixing the pastry. When the pastry is baked, those small butter pieces create air pockets as they melt, producing flaky dough.

Use ice cold water so the butter doesn't melt while mixing the dough.

Go easy when mixing:

Mix the dough until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sided pieces. Then add water, using the smaller amount called for initially. Test for adequate moisture by pressing the dough together with your fingers. The dough should be damp but not sticky or wet. If it holds together in a ball without falling apart, it's ready to be rolled. If it's dry and crumbly, add another tablespoon of water, beat the dough at low speed just until mixed, and test again. Numerous factors can affect how much water the flour will absor; the type of flour used; its age and how it was stored; the moisture in the air; and how much the fat has already coated the flour.

Be careful not to overwork the dough so it doesn't get tough. If you use a food processor, don't mix the dough until it forms a ball; mix it just until the dough begins to hold together, and then remove it and quickly press the dough together with your hands to form a ball.

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by Lisa Saltzman - a cooking school instructor and former pastry chef.