A dough made with inadequately distributed fat is more problematic than one that is over-mixed -- it will be difficult to roll out; the butter will stick to the rolling pin, the butter chunks will melt and the dough may tear. Or, dough made with overworked fat will be heavy and sodden after baking.

To accomplish this step, first add the prepared fat from Step # 1, to the flour mixture by sprinkling the pieces evenly around the bowl.  If at any time the fat gets too warm and soft, cover entire mixture with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until chilled. Resume, again. 

Then, you can cut in the fat in several ways: 

Make sure the butter or fat is still cold in the flour mixture before adding water or liquids. If not, cover and return to fridge or freezer until chilled. 

Likewise, any liquid ingredient, such as water, white wine vinegar or eggs should be very cold and mixed together before adding to the recipe. Use ice water, not cold water from the tap because it's colder.

Start by sprinkling the BARE MINIMUM of water or liquid mixture over the flour / butter mixture while tossing it gently with a fork;  the less used, the more tender the pie crust.  Constantly reach down into the bottom of the bowl with a fork to work in the liquids, being careful not squish or flatten the fat before deciding whether to add more water. 

Work quickly or the fat will become soft and sticky, leading to a flavorless tough crust when baked. If it happens, place it back in the refrigerator and for less time in the freezer until well-chilled. (I also put the liquids in the refrigerator to chill at the same time) Then, resume again. 

Do not over do the liquids and the mixing; use the Pinch Test to determine whether or not you should stop. Gluten forms whenever wheat flour is moistened and stirred, with an excess resulting in a tough and not-so-flaky crust. These precautions mostly concern the flaky dough, with less importance to the sweet dough because of its high sugar content. If problems arise, see solutions below. 

Fraisage: After mixing pie dough, it should just cling together. At this stage, you can make a ball of dough, and chill it, or you can further layer together the fat and flour and increase flakiness by a technique known in French as fraisage. It is a way to blend the dough. This makes flat pieces of fat smeared in between the flour, which is optimal when making a very flaky crust. 

To do: break off a small lump of dough, put it under the heel of your hand on the counter, and push on the dough as you slide it forward about 4 inches. Scrape up and set aside that piece of dough and repeat with the remaining dough. Then gather the pieces of smeared dough into a disk, in the next step. 

Food Processor:  Scatter water over the flour mixture and pulse it 5 to 6 times at one second intervals. Don't allow the dough to start clumping together.  However, I don't recommend using a processor for this stage, as it is easy to overwork the dough. Finish mixing the dough by hand so it comes together.

For a 2-crust pie, I like to create two flat disks in two-third and one-third portions, even though many pie recipes call for splitting them into two equal ones. The larger amount will be the bottom crust and the smaller will be the top. Weigh the dough and then split it into two disks, weighing each to make sure it's correct.  If you don't have a scale, eye-ball the amounts. 

Chill the dough in the coldest part of the refrigerator (the center of the center shelf) for 1 to 24 hours, to relax the gluten and firm the fat; placing it in the freezer is not as effective. Dough that has rested for 24 hours before rolling, has the best chance of being flaky and tender. If rolling out within 3 days, keep it in the refrigerator, otherwise freeze it. 

To begin, I always shape the mixed dough into a flatted disk (not a ball) as soon as it's made and then chill it. The shape helps to chill it faster (and evenly) and makes rolling faster because of it's already round and flat shape.

To make a disk, shape by GENTLY and quickly pressing the mixture together with the cupped palms of your hands. Rotate the dough until it forms the right shape, the larger and flatter the better--don't overwork the dough--it should just stick together and will not be smooth. This will make the dough easier to roll out later without cracking. 

If the dough does not hold together AT ALL, it is too dry. If it is too mushy, the dough is too wet. (To correct either situation). If in doubt, gather into a disk, chill and see how it looks before rolling. 

When done forming a disk, place it in the middle of a large piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and with it, press the crumbly pieces back into the disk. Place it in an airtight plastic bag and then in the refrigerator. 

Chilling allows the fat to reharden so that the dough is firm when rolled and helps to evenly distribute the moisture in it. It also allows the gluten strands developed during mixing to relax (some always develops, no matter how careful you are), lessening pie crust shrinkage during baking. For most dough, a minimum of an hour or two in the refrigerator will suffice. When I make dough in large quantities, I prefer to let them chill and rest overnight.  

The dough can be frozen for longer storage up to 3 months.  If frozen and not yet rolled, thaw it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight before using.  (You can also roll it out first, shape it into a pan and then freeze it. You need not thaw before using.)

1. Make sure the dough has chilled in a disk shape for at least an hour (more is preferable) or if frozen, has thawed in the refrigerator before rolling. Remove the single dough disk or the larger one for a 2-crust pie, from the refrigerator (if frozen, it is best to allow it to defrost in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight) and allow it to sit for about 5 to 10 minutes or until it softens enough to be malleable. Do not let it get too warm, otherwise place it back in the fridge. Keep the dough for a lattice or upper crust refrigerated while rolling the bottom,until you need it in Step #7. Always work quickly so the dough doesn't have a chance to soften. 

2. Determine how large you need to roll the dough. A piece of waxed paper is 12-inches wide. Cut off a piece 12-inches long. Roll the circle of dough so it touches the center of all 4 sides of a square. If you need a 13-inch diameter dough, make it an inch larger on all sides.

3.The tendency is to throw lots of flour on the work surface and pin to keep dough from sticking, but the result will be a flavorless and tough crust when baked. There are several ways to roll dough. Use a floured pastry cloth and a rolling pin sleeve, or two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap on top of a counter, marble block or other smooth surface.

MY WAY: By the way, I don't recommend rolling pastry dough, directly on marble, or any other surface, for that matter. I know that many pastry chefs do, but I find that I end up incorporating too much flour into the dough. Instead I lay a lightly floured canvas pastry cloth on the board and pull a floured cotton sleeve over the pin; both of these add just enough flour to prevent sticking.

OTHER: Start by lightly flouring a work surface with pinches of flour, rather than handfuls. Lightly dust the rolling pin, too. Place the dough disk in the center of the flour dusting. Then, lightly sprinkle it with more pinches of flour on top. 

Dough can also be rolled in between two pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap, eliminating the need for a flour-dusted work surface. This is especially so when rolling chilled soft doughs, such as those with sugar, cream cheese or eggs or those that are just soft in general. These types stick easily when rolled directly with a rolling pin dusted in flour. It's so much easier to roll the dough this way, especially when using it as a sling to ease the dough into the pan.  

To prepare for rolling the dough between waxed paper or plastic wrap: tear two large pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and place one on the work surface. Do not dust it with flour. Place the dough disk in the center or it, and again, do not dust it with flour. Then, cover the dough with the remaining piece placed on top and lined up with the bottom piece's edges. Go to the next step.

4. My method of starting my dough rolling is simple: flatten the well-chilled disk by smacking it with the long part of the rolling pin. If you are rolling a naturally soft dough or one with a lot of sugar, lightly smack it in between two pieces of plastic wrap. 

After each "hit", make sure you don't do the next one on the same spot and rotate the dough. After four smacks, turn it over, and do so in the opposite direction. The goal it to soften the dough while keeping it's round shape before rolling. Do not fret if you get a crack; it's because the dough is too cold. Let it sit, covered for a few minutes at room temperature to soften. (What to do ?).

5. Use firm, steady pressure to roll the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick or slightly less. As the center tends to be the thickest part, roll from the center out; starting with the rolling pin in the center of the dough, even if covered with waxed paper or plastic wrap, always  roll, with light, even pressure, away from you to the opposite side. Stop the rolling pin as it nears the edges; don't roll over the edges as they crack or become too thin. Roll again towards the center. Avoid rolling over the same spot multiple times.

If the dough is too cold, it will crack and break up during rolling, so let it sit a few minutes at room temperature to warm. If, at any time, the dough becomes too soft, refrigerate it until firm. However, don't bunch it up to do so; simply place the dough as is on a cookie sheet with the help of a large spatula, if necessary. 

The freezer can speed up the process, but watch the dough carefully so it doesn't get too cold. If it does, let it warm a few minutes at room temperature before proceeding.

6.  After one quick forward and backward stroke, rotate the dough a quarter turn, tossing a light dusting of flour beneath, only if necessary. If rolling between two pieces of plastic wrap, no need to flour in between the sheets. Instead, simply turn the dough with the sheets attached. Then, resume rolling from the center out. 

Lift and move the dough occasionally to make sure it is not sticking, and flour lightly under the dough only if it is necessary. If at any point the dough becomes too soft, slip it, still on the cloth or plastic wrap, onto a baking sheet, cover it and refrigerate or freeze until firm. If using plastic wrap, you can lift the ends of it to reposition the dough so that you are always rolling away from you, which is the most effective technique. Turn over the dough, in the plastic wrap, and lift and replace the wrap as necessary to be sure the wrap is not creasing and folding into the dough.

To keep from sticking, sprinkle pinches of flour underneath by lifting one edge of the dough, only if necessary. A long angled spatula or long knife to help you lift up the dough if it sticks to the countertop.  Avoid using your hands as they are one of the hottest parts of your body and the warmth from them will ruin the dough. 

Some bakers flip the dough over and roll it on the opposite side. To do, use a dough scraper, lift the onto the rolling pin, pick it up, re-flour and replace the dough upside down.

7. Stop adjusting and rolling until you get about an 1/8-inch in thickness and the dough is approximately 3 - 4 inches larger in diameter than your pie pan. Use an expandable flan ring or cardboard templates as a guide. For 9-inch pies, you usually cut a 13-inch circle. (Other sizes). Use a pre-measured toothpick to judge its thickness in a couple of places: the center and both opposite ends. 

8. After rolling it out, you'll want to adjust the dough so it is shaped into a circle, if it isn't already. Do this by lightly and quickly shaping it with your right and left cupped hands. Place each on the opposite edge of the dough, with the bottom edge of each palm resting on the work surface. To shape, use both hands at the same time and keeping the edge of your palm on the work surface at all times, gently tap and cup the edge of the dough, rounding it,  Move both hands to another position, and repeat, going all the way around the dough, if necessary. This will give it a more rounded shape.  

Another way is to cut the dough; it's easiest and most precise to cut out the circle of dough before transferring it to the pie or tart pan. Again, use an expandable flan ring or cardboard templates as a guide. For 9-inch pies, you usually cut a 13-inch circle. Cut with a sharp knife. 

9. Go to Step #6, on the next page. There you will learn how to place the dough in the pie pan, finish the edges, fill and bake. An important thing to remember is that after you form the dough in the pie pan, you will chill the dough again, and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, preferably overnight.