There’s no denying it: Piecrusts are one of the hardest things for a home cook to master. When it comes to rolling them out, experience counts for a lot, but good techniques are crucial, too. Here are some of our best pointers for rolling out lovely, even rounds of dough.

Start with dough at the right temperature

If it’s too warm and soft, it’ll stick like crazy to the rolling pin and the work surface, forcing you to add too much flour as you work it. Dough that’s too cold and hard resists rolling and cracks if you try to force it. Press the dough lightly to check its rolling readiness— your fingertips should leave an imprint but shouldn’t easily sink into the dough.

Roll around the clock

Start with the rolling pin in the center of your dough disk. Roll toward 12 o’clock, easing up on the pressure as you near the edge (this keeps the edge from getting too thin). Pick up the pin and return it to center. Roll toward 6 o’clock, as shown at right. Repeat this motion toward 3 and then 9 o’clock, always easing up the pressure near the edges and then picking up the pin rather than rolling it back to center. Continue to roll around the clock, aiming for different “times” (like 1, 7, 4, 10) on each round.

转动面团，经常检查是否粘住。每一轮时钟后，在面团下方（左下）跑一把长凳刀，以确保其不粘，并在必要时重新浮出水面。当您这样做时，请给面团四分之一弯 - 大多数人不可避免地会在一个方向与另一个方向滚动时使用不均匀的压力，因此偶尔的转弯有助于平均它的厚度更加平均。继续转弯，直到面团为正确的宽度和厚度（右下方）。

Go easy on the flour

Even dough that’s at the perfect temperature needs a little extra flour to keep it from sticking, but try not to use more than you really need—the more extra flour you work into the dough as you roll it, the drier and tougher the crust will be.

Try an alternative rolling surface

Beyond the usual lightly floured countertop, other options for rolling surfaces include a pastry cloth (our current favorite, shown in the photos above, especially when paired with a cloth rolling pin cover), a silicone rolling mat (brand name Roul’Pat, available online atDemarleUSA.com), and sheets of parchment, waxed paper, or plastic wrap. Choose whichever one you like best.

Use the fewest possible passes of the rolling pin

Overworked dough equals tough crust, so the less you have to work it during rolling, the better.