How to Roll Out Pastry Dough Nice & Flat

Here's a good and handy tip on how to roll dough out evenly and to line a pie tin with ease.

Place the dough on a piece of baking paper. Cover with another piece of baking paper.

Roll the dough out from the centre by rotating the dough. As you roll the dough outwards, reduce the pressure when you come to the edge of the dough.

Should you use baking paper, lift up the top sheet of the paper, then carefully invert the pastry over the pie tin.

Peel away the sheet of paper.

Always make sure that you centre the pastry right in the middle, as the pastry cannot be moved out once it is in place.

Lift up the sides of the pastry once it is in the tin. (This is to prevent the pastry from breaking over the edges of the tin.)

Another convenient way of transferring the pastry from the tabletop to the tin is to carefully roll the pastry around the rolling pin then place the rolling pin on the side of the tin and gently unroll.

Ease and press the pastry shell into the sides of the tin then cut away excess pastry with a sharp knife.

To prevent any excess shrinkage of the pastry during baking, you should let the pastry sit a little above the sides of the tin.

Chill or refrigerate the pastry in the tin for 20-25 minutes before baking, to relax the pastry and to prevent shrinkage.