How to Line a Tart Mold or Pie Plate

First, tart molds come in different forms. The most popular and easiest to use is a metal pan with a removable bottom. This makes it easy to take the ring off the finished tart and allows you to serve the tart right on the metal base of the tart pan, eliminating the potential hazard of trying to transfer the tart, bottomless, to a serving plate. There are also tart molds made of porcelain, but these are designed for serving the tart directly from the mold and are usually reserved for quiches or country-style savory dishes. The third type is a tart ring, which is a simple metal ring that supports only the sides of the tart. Lining a pie pan is straightforward: simply roll over the dough and press it into the corners and against the walls. Trim off the edges, leaving at least ½ inch of extra dough around the sides to form a fluted edge. If you’re making a pie without a top cover, simply fold under this extra ½ inch of dough and press it between the thumb of one hand and the fingers of another to form a fluted edge (see step 6, “How to an Make Apple Pie,”). If the pie has a cover, simply pinch together the top and bottom crusts to form the fluted edge.