Page 70 - Pie Squared

9 by 13 inches and use the tape to guide you.
When the dough is rolled to size, either loosely roll it up around

the rolling pin and swiftly lift and lower it into the slab pie pan; or,
alternatively, lightly fold it in half and in half again, placing the center
point in the center of the slab pie pan, then unfold. Fit the dough into
the corners and up the sides to drape over the rim, pressing gently

with the side of your hand, not your fingertips (which would be more
likely to rip it).
Place the pan in the refrigerator while rolling out the other, slightly
smaller, half of the dough, about 10 by 14 inches, for the top crust.

Place the top crust on a lightly floured sheet of parchment and
refrigerate until ready to fill and bake the pie.
Your dough is likely to tear. It might not be exactly to size, there
may be more draping over the edge here, and nothing at all over

there. Do not worry. Use kitchen shears to trim pieces from the
excess to make up for the areas lacking crust. Simply press, tuck,
patch, and poke until the crust is covering the bottom and draping
over the top edge. Whatever happens on the way to pie stays

between you and me.
In a pinch, a wine bottle, a broom handle, or any cylindrical object
will stand in for a rolling pin, making pie possible in any situation.

THE FINISHING TOUCHES

You’ve filled the bottom crust and draped the top crust over the
filling. Crimping the dough contains the filling, and slashing the
surface releases steam, all of which encourages a juicy pie with a

flaky lid. Make it as simple or as fancy as you please.

CRIMP AND SLASH

Think of “crimp and slash” as the final two steps in the pie-making
dance.
Crimping seals together the top and bottom crusts so the filling
stays put. Begin by trimming the dough evenly all around the pan. I

like to use kitchen scissors. Use simple tools to make a decorative