Rolling out and Using Pie and Tart Pastry Dough

Rolling out pastry dough may be the most exasperating of all baking techniques. Pastry dough, especially pastry dough that contains a lot of butter, can melt and tear if it gets too warm; if it’s too cold, it’s next to impossible to roll and may crack if you force it. Fortunately, if the dough tears or cracks, you can always patch it together when it’s in the tart or pie dish. If the pastry dough starts to fall apart, quickly put it in the refrigerator to rest for 10 minutes. If the pastry dough is still difficult to roll, gather it up into a ball, flatten it into a disk, and roll it again.