How to Make a Crimped Bottom Shell

After transferring your dough sheet into the pie pan, (1) lift the edge of the dough up to make a raised, hollow area, about ⅜ inch (1 cm) or a little less than ½ inch (12 mm) high, over the edge of the pie pan, (2) pressing the excess dough against the rim of the pie pan to trim it. This will give you enough dough to form a decorative edge.

(3) Then position the thumb and forefinger of your nondominant hand so that there’s about ½ inch (12 mm) of dough between them, and push them gently into the edge of the crust, right over the rim of the pie dish, while simultaneously using the forefinger of your dominant hand to push the dough from the opposite side into the space between your thumb and forefinger.