Because of the presence of sugar and egg, this dough sticks to itself easily, so some recipes call for the dough to be pressed into a pan rather than rolled out and then transferred to the pan. To press the dough into the pan, cut off about ⅓ of the dough and reserve it. Using the floured palm of your hand, press the larger piece of dough to cover the bottom of the pan. Divide the remaining dough into 3 pieces and roll each into a cylinder about 10 inches (25 cm) long. Arrange the 3 cylinders of dough against the inside of the pan, slightly overlapping where they meet, to form the rim of the tart. Using floured fingertips, press the dough against the side of the pan, making sure it is well joined to the dough in the bottom of the pan. Use your thumbs, held perpendicular to the pan, to press the dough against the side of the pan (see figure a). Make sure the dough on the side of the pan is even in thickness—if it is thinner at the top where the heat is strongest, the edges will burn while it’s baking. Finally, 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.
