— If you don’t have a food processor, you can make this crust by hand. The process is essentially the same.
Butter Crust Made by Hand
— Many bakers recommend chilling the dough for an hour before rolling. I usually don’t remember to do this, but if you have time it’s good to do. Keeping the dough cool retards the formation of gluten during processing and rolling. Too much gluten makes your dough rubbery and your crust tough.
— Pie crust is very forgiving. If yours tears or splits, as mine often does, just patch it together with your fingers or a little bit of dough. It doesn’t matter if it’s a little bumpy or uneven—after all, it’s going to be covered with yummy filling! You don’t want holes in the crust, however, as that could allow the filling to seep underneath the crust.