Tips For The Perfect Pie Crust
Apples, pumpkins and pears, oh my! Why is it so hard to make the perfect pie? Well, I’m done with soggy crusts and burnt edges, so I’ve put together my top secrets for making the perfect pie crust every time. Follow these tips and you’ll find baking this sweet treat easy as…well, pie.
Keep Your Fat Cold—Whether you’re using butter, shortening or margarine, keep your baking fat in the fridge until the second you are ready to use it.
Use Ice Water—Pie dough needs to stay cold throughout the forming process. Starting with cold butter or fat is a start, but also use cold water. Fill a liquid measuring cup with ice and water and let it chill out in the fridge for about 10 minutes before using it.
Don’t Over Knead—It might be tempting to knead pie dough until the butter is evenly distributed. But with pie crust, it’s better to under-kneed than over-kneed. Work your dough until there’s still pea-sized chunks of butter in it, then stop!
Chill The Dough Before Rolling—As I said before, pie dough needs to stay cold. For the flakiest crust possible wrap your dough in saran wrap as soon as you’re finished kneading it and then pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes before you begin rolling.
Rotate And Don’t Stress Over Cracks—Cold pie dough can be tricky to roll, but start by flouring your work surface and rotating your dough 90 degrees after every other roll. Slowly, you’ll form a perfect circle with minimal cracks on the edge. But don’t panic if you have a lot of cracks, they just mean you’re rolling the dough at the right temperature and you didn’t overwork it.
Give The Crust A Head Start—Some pies, especially liquid-based pies like custard or pumpkin, require the crust to be partially baked before the filling is added. Make sure you’re reading the directions and never skipping a partial bake on your recipe.
Always Add An Egg Wash And Sugar—For a crispy golden crust brush a light coating of egg onto your pie dough right before baking. This will not only prevent it from burning but if you also sprinkle sugar over the egg wash it’ll add a nice shine and tasty texture.
I hope these crust tips help you serve up the perfect pie every time!
