Forming Tart Crust

Appears in
The Modern Baker

By Nick Malgieri

Published 2008

  • About
Fold the dough in half and slide both hands, palms up, under it. Transfer it to the pan, lining up the fold with the diameter of the pan. With the uncovered part of the pan closer to you, slide both hands underneath the dough and unfold it toward you. Press the dough flat against the bottom of the pan and use your fingertips to gently push it into the angle formed by the bottom and side of the pan. With both hands perpendicular to the bottom of the pan, press the dough into the side of the pan. Use a bench scraper, the back of a knife, or a rolling pin to trim away the excess dough at the top of the pan (see figure a). Using your thumb inside the pan and your forefinger on the rim, press in and down at the same time to make the top edge of the crust straight and even (see figure b).