Melissa Clark's 9 Tips for the Perfect Pie Crust

Oct. 17, 2011— -- intro: Melissa Clark, author of "Cook This Now," offers her top tips for the perfect pie crust. Through trial and error, she's broken down the steps that will improve your pie-making skills. Try her fail-safe tips today.

"As pie season approaches, the notion of making a pie crust from scratch inspires dread and fear for many home cooks," says Clark. "There is no shame in resorting to the store-bought, but a homemade pie crust is remarkably easier than most people think. The ingredients are few and basic, and the expertise required is minimal. As a self-professed pie addict, I've been experimenting and tweaking pie recipes and pie techniques for years, and these tips are the fruits of my many labors."

quicklist:1category: title: The Colder, the Betterurl: text: When making the dough, use cold butter and ice water. Some bakers even chill their flour for a few hours before mixing up the dough, and that's not a bad idea if you've got the fridge space.media:related:

quicklist:2category: title: Keep It Under Controlurl: text: Don't overblend the dough: Stop the processor when the butter and flour form lima bean sized chunks.media:related:

quicklist:3category: title: Less Is Moreurl: text: Add the water slowly and only just enough for the dough to come together in jagged clumps. You don't want a smooth, homogenous dough.media:related:

quicklist:4category: title: Give it Timeurl: text: Plastic wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling, which allows the moisture to distribute evenly throughout the flour.media:related:

quicklist:5category: title: Make Aheadurl: text: Raw dough wrapped tightly in plastic wrap can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for six months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.media:related:

quicklist:6category: title: Easy on the Floururl: text: Use as little flour as possible for rolling out the dough. Or roll out dough between sheets of wax paper or on a silpat.media:related:

quicklist:7category: title: Keep It Movingurl: text: While you roll, keep the dough mobile: Move it, flip it, dust it again with flour. This prevents it from gluing itself to the counter.media:related:

quicklist:8category: title: Make It Prettyurl: text: Don't overthink the fluting: Do your best, and know that after the pie is browned and golden, it will be beautiful.media:related:

quicklist:9category: title: Repurpose Your Pennies url: text: Pennies make great pie weights: Unburden your purse and know that the pennies will distribute heat evenly. Dry rice and beans work too.media:related: