How to properly roll out a pie crust?
Very often in pastry making, you have to roll out a pastry before using it for a pie or another dessert.
At home, of course, you get out your rolling pin and simply roll it out.
Is there a way to get an evenly rolled out dough? That's what we will see in this article.
At home, of course, you get out your rolling pin and simply roll it out.
Is there a way to get an evenly rolled out dough? That's what we will see in this article.
7,567 4.9/5 (16 reviews)
Keywords for this post:PastryDoughRollWedgesThicknessRegularThinLast modified on: May 10th 2023
How to properly roll out a pie crust?
To make a good pie, you need to have a pastry (shortcrust, shortbread, sweet or other...) that is rolled out thinly, i.e. about 3 mm thick.
It must be rolled out thinly, but also regularly, in other words the thickness must be the same on the whole surface of the dough.
It's not that easy to roll out a dough evenly, and the professionals who do it often work with a rather extraordinary machine called a rolling mill: The dough is pushed by an automatic belt between 2 metal cylinders of adjustable thickness.
At home, there is no secret, you have to work with a roller and therefore spread your dough a little by eye to determine the right thickness, and be as regular as possible.
Can we improve this?
Yes, and with a very simple and inexpensive tool, the pastry wedges.As their name indicates, they are very simple blocks, in different materials, metal, silicone, wood... and of fixed thickness, often 3, 5 and 10 mm.
To use them, you just have to start rolling out as usual, then when you are close to the chosen thickness, put the wedges around the dough, and pass the rolling pin by leaning on the wedges.
This way, the roller can't go lower than the wedges, and your dough can't go lower in thickness than the wedges.
It's both very simple and very effective, so don't hesitate to try it.
To sum up: To roll out a dough evenly, nothing is more practical than pastry blocks of the chosen thickness.
Lasts posts
Add a bay leaf
Bay leaf: small in size, but big in flavor. You'll find it in hundreds of recipes, and it's often added to cooking meat, in a sauce or broth, usually accompanied by other herbs or products. It's a staple of Provençal, Mediterranean and Oriental cuisine, but not the only one. Usually, in a...July 31th 20255355
Parsley stems
Parsley, whether curly or flat, is a delicious ingredient in many recipes, where it is used both raw and cooked. When used raw, in a salad for example, where it always provides, alone or with other herbs, a remarkable freshness, only the leaves are kept. And when used cooked?July 28th 2025787 13
A drizzle of olive oil
Often in a recipe, you have to "baste" vegetables, for example, before sending them to the oven. What the author means by this is that you need to put oil on top of the vegetables to cook them in the oven. Typically, we just quickly drizzle oil over the vegetables, hoping not to miss any, but...July 13th 20251,1635
Always secure your cutting board
When using a cutting board, it's very important that it's stable and doesn't move while you're cutting, for safety's sake. Boards have a natural tendency to slide on the work surface, but here are 2 ways to block them effectively.July 1st 20251,1875
Cherry clafoutis, with or without pits?
When it comes to cherry clafoutis recipes, there's often a camp of those who argue that you absolutely have to leave the stones in because it tastes better, and the other camp (myself included) who prefer cherries without stones, which makes a much more pleasant clafoutis to eat. But is it true...June 29th 20251,0745
Other pages you may also like
Parsley stems
Parsley, whether curly or flat, is a delicious ingredient in many recipes, where it is used both raw and cooked. When used raw, in a salad for example, where it always provides, alone or with other herbs, a remarkable freshness, only the leaves are kept. And when used cooked?July 28th 2025787 13
Divide and weigh dough into regular pieces
When you prepare dough for cupcakes in a pastry shop or bakery, at some point you're going to have to divide it, i.e. cut it into small pieces, which should all have the same weight. Sounds simple enough, but is it really that simple?May 30th 20238,8195
How to avoid lumps
You've probably come across this unpleasant phenomenon where, when you try to incorporate an ingredient (usually a solid or powder) into a preparation (usually a liquid), the mixture doesn't mix properly and you end up with little "balls" or little lumps of the solid part that refuse to mix with the...October 9th 202019 K4.8
Small, regular pieces
When we cook, bake or pastry, we often have to cut food into small pieces, often cubes, to incorporate them into a recipe or preparation. How do you get regular pieces fairly quickly?November 28th 20208,3304.5
In praise of the whetstone
Have you ever seen a butcher or a chef sharpen his knife before using it? Usually he uses a special tool, a long thin cylinder made of very hard metal. And in a smooth and elegant gesture, he very quickly passes the edge of the knife against the rifle, which makes a very characteristic noise,...June 5th 20218,9854.8
Post a comment or question
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.