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I have a marble one that I think is too strong for most pie and tart doughs so I really only use that for bread dough. The only kind I'll use for pies and tarts is a tapered French rolling pin.

Have you tried Dorie Greenspan's pie dough recipe? Here's a link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15324538 I have made dozens of pies with this recipe and not had one failed crust!

I've also found a pie rolling bag a huge asset to rolling since the "mess" is contained in one bag, and it's quite easy to roll a circle since that's the shape of the bag! Also you can put the pie pan in the bag, one flip upside down, and a very easy transfer of dough!

You can buy both the rolling pin and pie rolling bag for less than $15. That plus Dorie's recipe and my KitchenAid food processor helped me get over my fear of pie dough and turn out some awesome pies! Good Luck!

I use a plain, heavy rolling pin with ball bearings in it. It's wood and we got it from Linens and Things. I tend to go for the regular straight pin vs. a tapered one. I'm always afraid I'll wind up with bowed pastry that's thick on the outside edges.

I use the tapered pin as well, but my mom has the straight dowel (I think it's literally a straight dowel, cut and sanded by my dad). If I could have found a straight pin, I'd have bought that instead. But I'm happy with the tapered, too. I find the handled ones are best for playdough.

I also recommend the food processor method, plus lots of practice and above all, not over-thinking it. I didn't have success with pie dough until I stopped worrying about it. The less effort I spend on it, the better it is (that over-working problem avoided). With a processor and prepped ingredients, you should be able to get from pouring the flour into the machine to a pressed disc of dough sitting on plastic wrap in well under a minute.

For rolling, I use a flexible plastic cutting board. Easy to clean and easy to turn. Plus you can pick the whole board up to move it to the dish.

A metal bench scraper is very helpful (and good for much more--eg., crushing tomatoes directly in the pan).

For recipes, I like Julia Child's from her baking book. It calls for half butter and half shortening, but I use 3/4 butter, 1/4 shortening. The shortening does make a difference.

I hate the Joy of Cooking flaky pie dough. I also tried a Gale Gand recipe with vinegar (similar to Cook's Illustrated vodka idea) and it wasn't so special.

I use a regular wooden rolling pin. I've never had a problem. I've heard some people swear by marble rolling pins, though.

molbec,

there is a recipe for a pat in pie crust in amanda hesser's book, cooking for mr. latte, that i later traced to an ancient copy of fanny farmer. it calls for a half cup of oil, milk, almond extract, flour, salt, and sugar, stirred together with a fork and then patted into an 8x8 pan. i've made it a thousand times, using many different kinds of fruit {apples, peaches, blackberries, apricots, rhubarb, plums} and a streusel topping. it's pebbly rather than flaky, but it is just delicious, and perfect for a one crust pie.

I've used a wooden one and a marble one with no problems but my favorite one now is a wine bottle filled with water that I keep in the refrigerator .. it's super!

every rolling pin has been fine so long as:

a) it rests long enough (4 hour - overnight)
b) it's still cold when you roll it
c) lots of flour

I use Bernard Clayton's Basic Crust from his Complete Book of Pastry. I did all lard this year, but I've done all butter (warms up very fast) and half butter half crisco. And I mix it in the food processor - but it is easy to over water it that way. Usually everything works out during the refrigerated rest.

I have to agree with DaveFaris that the rolling pin is unlikely to be the culprit in unsatisfactory pie crusts; I've used everything from a slick silicon item to a glass bottle, and it hasn't made a bit of difference. The recipe, and following it precisely, are definitely key, and I too have had excellent results with 'Cooks Illustrated' recipes.
I always roll out between two sheets of baking paper/thin silicon baking sheets, or I spend most of my time swearing, and scraping rapidly warming, greasy dough off the pin.

I always chill everything I'm going to use; I use ice water, and I restrain myself forcibly from adding too much water (dough gets sticky and frustrating) or flour (dough gets dry and heavy); I have never had the least bit of success making an appealing whole-grain pie dough (I think the ability of the gluten to form sheets is really critical to the overall texture).

bobcatsteph3, the pie bag sounds interesting, but how do you get the crust out?

Wow! Thanks for all the feedback so far!

Just so everyone understands, I am not EVEN expecting the rolling pin to be the solution to my pie crust woes! If only!!!

It's simply that I do not own a rolling pin.

(I did own one once, but it seems to have vanished. I didn't even realize it was gone. Perhaps my ex got custody of it, though I don't know why since he can barely cook, much less bake. Or maybe one of the kids accidentally broke it and "forgot" to tell me. No matter.)

Since this is (arguably) an essential tool for crust-making, I feel compelled to purchase myself THE perfect rolling pin. It can't hurt.

The expert opinions and experiences of my heroes (i.e., all you enviably accomplished crust-makers) are SO appreciated. Please keep 'em coming!

P.S., I did see one that looked really cool. It's a French-style (tapered dowel) made of metal, so it can be chilled for pastry work! Whattaya think?

To Mongoose: the pie crust bag, here's a link to one: http://www.amazon.com/Harold-Pie-Crust-Maker-14/dp/B0000CFTQT/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1199761885&sr=8-1

It has a zipper and opens almost all the way around, except for where it's attached. (This isn't the one I have which I bought at Lehman's Amish supply store in Ohio, but I do recommend the larger 13" or 14" bags.

You keep both sides well floured and flip and turn the crust same as you would between wax, or on a cutting board. You could take the dough out the traditional way by rolling it around a rolling pin, or folding it. But I've found if I stick a pie pan in the bag, close the bag, and flip over, my dough inverts into the pan perfectly! No mess and thankfully no tearing!

And for a few more tips, as other commenters have aluded to about perfect pie dough and cold ingredients (I do hope you're using unsalted butter and not dreaded margarine folks!) I keep trans fat free Crisco sticks and butter in the freezer, and cut them up while I stick ice water in the freezer. Put the cut up butter and crisco back in the freezer, prep the rest of the dry ingredients in my food processor, and this assures the cold items stay cold as I bring them out again when they are ready for the food processor.

This weekend I made Go Buckeye (as in Ohio State Univ.) Cherry Pie, and thank goodness the pie turned out more awesome than the nat'l championship game so far!

my favorite rolling pin is one my dad turned from an old piece of hickory. it does not taper, the stain is natural (non-toxic and does not affect food), and it's very heavy.