Re: rolling out a crust - I only make my own crust about 2 times a year - so it's taken me a while to figure this out. Most recipes call for less than a 2 to 1 mixture of flour to fat. I find it easier to use a 2 to 1 ratio, i.e. 2 cups flour and 1 cup fat. My family always enjoys it. You should get the dough to a consistency that makes it easy to roll out. If it's not easy to roll it will be tough - so just make life easier for yourself and use more fat than the recipe call for. Also, chilling the dough helps a lot too.

j hartman

Pittsford, NY