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How to Make Hot Water Pastry

By Linda Larsen, About.com

6 of 7

Hot Water Pastry: Forming the Shell

Hot Water Pastry Step 6

Hot Water Pastry Step 6

Linda Larsen
Pull out your pie tin. You can use alumninum, glass, or ceramic pie pans to make your pie. I have a couple of ceramic pans that I love; I feel that the thickness of the material helps hold the heat and the pies that I bake in those pans always have a crisp, nicely golden brown bottom crust.

Using the waxed paper, flip the dough into the pie pan. Carefully peel off the top layer of waxed paper, once again holding the paper very closely to the dough as you peel. If the dough rips or tears, once again, do not worry about it; it's easily patched after you pull off all of the waxed paper.

Now gently ease the dough into the pan. Do not pull or stretch the dough because that activates the gluten and the dough will shrink when it bakes. Gather the edges of the dough and press into a rim that stands up around the edge of the pan. Using two fingers and your thumb, flute the dough to make a decorative pattern.

There are many ways to make a decorative edge on your pie shell. You can cut out shapes (like leaves, hearts, flowers, or rounds) from extra pie dough and attach them to the edge of the pie crust using a bit of water. You can take a fork and make a simple pattern with the fork in the edge of the pastry. It's possible to braid extra strips of pie dough and place the braid around the edge.

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