Lightly dust flour onto a clean counter and onto a rolling pin. (Alternatively, you can roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap; no flour required.)

Put the dough on the floured surface and, using the pin, roll away from you, applying pressure evenly.

Rotate the dough clockwise as you work so it's uniformly thin and isn't rolled irretrievably into the counter. Lightly dust the counter with flour as you work. But don’t overdo it with the flour. Too much flour all at once makes a tough crust.

Continue to roll the dough in all directions until you have a 12-inch circle. (If your rolled dough doesn’t end up in a neat circle, you can trim it, and use the trimmings to patch up any rips, holes or bald spots.)

Transfer crust to a 9-inch pie pan by gently rolling it up onto the pin, then carefully unfurling it into the pan. Fold over any excess dough. If you're not making a top crust, then the crimp edges now.

Prick crust all over with a fork, then chill crust for 30 minutes. Your crust is now ready to fill or blind bake.