Basic Pie and Tart Dough

It’s no wonder piecrust makes people nervous—there is so much controversy about the right way to make it. For several reasons, the French have it easier than we Americans. First, they weigh ingredients, and doing so produces more consistent results than using cups and spoons for volume measurements. Second, their flour contains less protein than ours (and hence less of the gluten that makes tart dough tough) and their butter contains less water (water activates the gluten in the flour). Thi