Many people are slightly apprehensive about working with pie dough. It isn’t because pie dough is difficult to make – in fact, it is actually quite easy – but rather because pie crusts can be difficult to roll out. To roll out a pie crust successfully, you need a rolling pin, a flat surface and something to prevent the crust from sticking. It also helps if you work quickly, as a chilled dough will be much less likely to stick to the counter. One trick that can making roll out pie crust even easier is to use wax paper to keep your crust from sticking as you work with it.
To use wax paper to roll out pie dough, simple cut two large sheets of wax paper, making sure that they are larger than the size of your finished pie crust. Parchment paper can also be used, but wax paper is thinner and slightly easier to handle in this case. Place your dough between the sheets of paper. Use your hand to flatten out the ball or disc of dough, then start rolling it out with your rolling pin. The pie dough will stick to the wax paper just enough to keep it from slipping away from the pressure of the rolling pin, allowing you to quickly and easily roll out the dough. Turn the paper as you work to ensure the crust is spreading evenly.
Once your crust is rolled out, place your pie plate on top of it to double check that it is large enough. If it is, peel back one of the layers of wax paper. If your dough is warm or sticks to the paper, pop it into the refrigerator for 15 minutes before transferring it to your pie plate. When the dough is firm again (skip the chilling step if your dough does not stick to the wax paper), flip the crust over onto your pie plate and peel off the back sheet of wax paper, then gently press your crust into place.
From there, you can proceed to crimp your crust and bake it according to the instructions in your recipe. This technique can also be used with puff pastry, if you happen to be rolling that out instead of pie dough.
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