How to make home-made pie pastry

Savory pie pastry (Pâte Brisée)
Ingredients for bottom and top of 10 inch round pie:
300 grams (10,5 oz) all-purpose flour
½ tea spoon salt
170 grams (6 oz) soft butter (unsalted)
2 large egg yolks
1 table spoon grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
5-8 table spoon cold water

Place the butter, flour, salt and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Mix them well using your hands and fingers (or in a food processor with the paddle attachment). Add the egg yolk and the water – spoon by spoon. If you need to add a little more cold water, do so, but just a tiny bit first, then another tiny bit, in order to make sure the dough does not get too sticky. Using a mixer (hand or stand, or food processor) mix the dough for about 15 seconds, just a few pulses. When it’s ready, squish it together gently into a ball, using your hands, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Take the dough out of the fridge and divide in two equal parts. Roll first part 1/4 inch thick on a floured board. Lay the rolled out pastry into your greased pie tin. Press gently until it fits. Cover it with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
Prepare the filling for the pie and then roll the other part of the dough to cover the pie.
***Usually, before I pour the pie filling over the bottom pie crust, I gently grease the pie crust with olive oil in order to keep the crust crisp, otherwise, the moist from the filling could get to pie crust and make it soaky and soft.

Sweet pie pastry (Pâte Sucrée)
Ingredients for the sweet pastry dough (makes 15 mini tartlets, 10cm. each or 1x20cm round pie):
185 grams (6.5 oz) flour
40 grams (1.40 oz) powder sugar
1/2 tea spoon salt
90 grams (3 oz) butter, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons (15 ml.) cold water or milk

To make the dough:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the soften butter (chopped into small pieces) and start mixing with your fingers (or pulse briefly in a food processor if you prefer) until coarse crumbs form (butter pieces should be about the size of a pea). Add the egg yolk and quickly knead until the dough comes together. If dough is too dry and doesn’t come together add one or two tablespoons of water or milk, one by one, until dough is wet enough to form a ball, but not too sticky. Do NOT overwork the dough, just pulse a few times and then shape it using your hands. Shape dough into a disk, cover in plastic wrap and put in the fridge to firm up, about 30 minutes. If making one large pie, then divide dough into two parts – 1/3rd (to use to cover the pie) and 2/3rd (to use for the bottom of the pie) and put int he fridge for 30 minutes.
Remove pastry from the fridge and set over a floured wooden board or your counter top. Roll the dough into a large circle, enough to cover the bottom and sides of your pie baking dish. Cover all baking dishes or one large dish with the dough, by gently pressing it down to the sides and bottom and put in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
Now, your pastry is ready for the filling and baking.

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