To Parbake a Single Piecrust

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F / 218°C, preferably with a baking stone on the bottom rack. Cut a square of parchment paper slightly larger than the pie pan.

2. Prick the chilled dough all over with a fork. Place the parchment over the crust and fill with pie weights or dried beans (see Parbaking and Blind-Baking Crusts).

3. Bake the crust on the stone or bottom rack just until the edges barely begin to turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Take the pan out of the oven and remove the parchment and weights, then return the pan to the oven and bake the crust for another 2 to 4 minutes, just until lightly golden around the edges.

5. Immediately brush the bottom of the crust with a thin layer of egg wash. The residual heat should cook the egg, but if it looks wet, throw it back in the oven for 1 minute more. Cool the crust completely before filling it and returning it to the oven to finish baking, as directed in the individual recipes.

To Blind-Bake a Single Piecrust

1. Follow the instructions for parbaking through step 3.

2. Take the pan out of the oven and remove the parchment and weights. Brush the bottom and crimped edges of the dough with a thin layer of egg wash.

3. Return the pie pan to the oven and bake for another 12 to 17 minutes, until the dough is evenly golden brown. Cool the crust completely before filling it.

Variations (for a single crust; all can be doubled)

Whole Wheat Pie Dough: Reduce the all-purpose flour to 75 g / ⅔ cup and add 89 g / ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour. Start with 60 g / 4 tablespoons ice water, then add more as needed. Whole wheat flour absorbs water differently—blame the bran and the germ—so it’s necessary to start with a little bit more water, and know that you might need to add more than for a dough using only all-purpose flour. Also, take care not to overmix once the water is added, as the whole wheat flour makes it especially easy to end up with a tough crust.

Even-Flakier Piecrust: Replace 57 g / 2 oz / 4 tablespoons of the butter with an equal amount of very cold shortening or lard.

Chocolate Pie Dough: Replace 30 g / ¼ cup of the all-purpose flour with 28 g / ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably dark). Be aware that the increased fat content from the cocoa makes the dough more prone to becoming sticky if overmixed and/or handled excessively.

Cream Cheese Pie Dough: Replace 57 g / 2 oz / 4 tablespoons of the butter with an equal amount of cream cheese.

Peanut Butter Pie Dough: Cut a piece of parchment about 5 inches square. Spread 68 g / ¼ cup creamy peanut butter in a ½-inch-thick layer on the paper and freeze until fairly firm, about 1 hour. Cut into cubes and use in place of 57 g / 2 oz / 4 tablespoons of the butter.