Lining a Round Tart Ring or Fluted Tart Pan with Pastry Dough

If you are using a bottomless tart ring, brush it with softened butter.

If you are using a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom or a porcelain tart dish, brush the sides and bottom with butter.

Roll the pastry dough up on the rolling pin or use another way to transfer it (see sidebar).

Unroll the pastry dough over the tart ring or dish. If you are using a bottomless tart ring, make sure it is on the surface you’re using for baking the tart, because you can’t move it once it’s lined with dough.

Gently lift the pastry dough with one hand while gently pressing the dough into the corners.

Work around the ring, pushing a little extra pastry dough into the ring or dish and pressing on the rim of the ring or dish with your thumb to detach the extra dough around the sides.

Roll over the ring with a rolling pin to completely detach the extra pastry dough; pull away the excess dough.

Gently pinch the excess pastry dough that you left inside the ring so that the dough rises slightly above the edges of the ring and forms a border that comes about ¼ inch above the ring.

Slide a paring knife between the dough and the edge of the ring so that no dough covers the edge of the ring. This makes it easier to lift up and take the ring off the finished tart.