17. At this point, flour the molding board or other surface slightly, shape enough of the dough mixture to cover a pie pan into a rounded mass, and place it on the floured space. Then, as shown in Fig. 4, roll it out with the rolling pin until it is about 1/8 inch in thickness, using a light, careful motion and keeping the piece of dough as nearly round as possible, so that it will fit the pan it is intended to cover.
When the rolling has been completed, roll the edge of the pastry over the rolling pin, hold it carefully over the pie pan, and, as shown in Fig. 5, unroll it gradually so that it will fall in the right place and cover the pan properly. With the paste in the pan, press it lightly with the fingers in order to make it cling closely to the bottom and the sides. Then, as shown in Fig. 6, trim the paste evenly by running a knife around the edge of the pan. When this is done, the pan is properly covered with paste for a one-crust pie or with the bottom crust for a pie that is to have two crusts.
18. In case a one-crust pie is to be made, the kind of filling to be used determines whether the crust should be baked first or not. For pies that require comparatively long baking, such as pumpkin pie, for instance, the raw crust is filled with the mixture and the two, crust and mixture, are then baked in the oven together. However, if the filling is one that does not require baking for any length of time, that is, time sufficient to bake the pastry, or if the filling requires a temperature that would be too low to bake the pastry, the crust should be baked first. In such an event, it is necessary to prick very thoroughly the bottom and the sides of the crust with a fork, as shown in Fig. 7, so that the air that is confined in the pastry will not make bubbles by pushing the pastry up as it expands in baking. A perforated pie tin is an advantage in the baking of shells or single-crust pies, for it prevents the air from becoming confined between the pan and the crust and producing air spaces that would cause blisters to form as the pie is baked. If desired, the crust may be placed over the back of the pan and baked, thus forming a shell that may be filled with a cooked filling and served.
19. When a double-crust pie is to be made, place the filling, which is usually fruit, on the bottom crust, but do not prick the crust in the manner just described. With this done, roll out the top crust and, as shown in Fig. 8, mark it with a knife in any design. The design serves as an outlet for the steam that generally forms inside of the pie as the filling cooks; if no provision is made for the steam to pass out, it will push up the crust and thus spoil the appearance of the pie. Next moisten the edge of the lower crust with a little water, putting it on with the finger, as shown in Fig. 9. Then carefully pick up the marked crust, place it over the filling, and press it down so that the edges of the bottom and the top crust cling together well. In applying the top crust, be careful not to stretch it. If it is put on loosely and pressed down on the edge of the lower crust without being pulled, the contents will not be so apt to cook out of the pie. Trim off the uneven edge with a knife and finish the edges of the top and bottom crusts in any desired way. This may be done by fluting the edge with the fingers or, as shown in Fig. 10, making marks with the tines of a fork. When this has been completed, the pie is ready to bake.
20. BAKING THE PLAIN-PASTRY MIXTURE.--As soon as the pie or other pastry dessert has been prepared, the next step is to bake it. To produce the best results, the pastry should be baked as quickly as possible; consequently, a hot oven is necessary. The baking can be accomplished most successfully in the case of a single crust baked without the filling or a pie containing a mixture that does not require long cooking. Otherwise, the temperature must be sufficiently low to cook the filling so that it will be palatable, and for this reason the pastry is not baked under entirely ideal conditions. The correct temperature for most pastry is from 500 to 600 degrees; that is, the oven should be just about as hot as it can be made. The length of time required for the baking depends entirely on the heat of the oven and the contents of the pie. It should be remembered, however, that to be properly baked, the crust should be neither burned nor pale looking when taken from the oven, but should be a golden brown. Fig. 11 shows a two-crust pie that has had just the right amount of baking.