Pie and Tart Dough

More is written about pie and tart dough, some of it frighteningly complicated, than any other component of dessert. Books are filled with minute details, intricate techniques, and measurements to the gram. First, exact measurements are impossible to give since much depends on the brand of flour and kind of butter you use and the temperature of the room.

It is also hard to pin down the perfect technique—you will feel your way through and develop your own—though one rule always holds true: you need to use a light touch so you work the dough as little as possible.