The biggest mistake people make when making pastry is adding too much water. Be cautious and slow, and add water a teaspoon at a time.

When rolling out your pastry, you should aim for the thickness of a pound coin. The more difficult your pastry is to roll out the better the end result will be, so don't worry!

When transferring your pastry to the tin, always leave some hanging over the edge to allow for any shrinking. It can be cut off once cooked for a smooth edge, and you can dip the cut-offs in jam and eat them! Once your pastry's in the tin, prick it several times with a fork to help stop it puffing up.

Scrunch up your baking paper before using it – this will make it much more malleable! Rather than baking beans, you can use a handful of copper coins to weigh down your pastry. Whatever you use, though, don't over-do it, or you'll end up with a soggy bottom...

Don't be afraid to patch up any holes with left-over pastry. You should also store cooked pastry at room temperature, rather than in the fridge.