Instructions

1. Make your pie crust dough. You can choose a recipe for a single-crust pie; however, if you're following a recipe for a double-crust pie, halve the recipe or save half for later. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Roll out the pie dough with a rolling pin, and transfer the pie dough to a pie pan. Flute the edges or decorate them however you like. Refrigerate the prepared pie dough for at least one hour. This step is crucial, as it prevents the dough from slipping down the sides of your pie pan.

3. Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator. Line the crust with parchment paper, wax paper or foil. Place pie weights on top of the paper or foil. Pie weights prevent the dough from bubbling. Substitute dry beans or uncooked rice if you don't have pie weights. If using beans or rice, you'll need roughly 1 to 2 cups to weigh the pie crust down completely.

4. Transfer the weighted crust to your preheated 350 degrees F oven, and bake the pie crust for 20 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven, and discard the paper or foil and weights. Let the crust cool for at least five minutes.

5. Poke holes in the pie crust with a fork. Poke holes in the bottom of the crust, not the sides. After you've made the holes, put the crust in the 350 degrees F oven for another 10 minutes to give the pie crust a lovely golden color.