What is the secret to a good pie crust?

1. Use Very Cold Butter or Fat . Butter, shortening, lard, or suet—whatever fat the recipe calls for should be well-chilled and cut into small pieces to start with for the flakiest crust in the end. The fat in a pie crust must maintain some of its integrity in the dough to make the crust truly flaky.

What is the secret of good pastry?

Water, however, is absorbed much less easily into flour proteins when the temperature is colder. That's why purists recommend cold ingredients, cold equipment and marble boards . Keeping the butter cold also helps when making short crust pastry because it doesn't melt into the flour when you are working it in.

What ingredient makes pies tough?

Tough pie crusts are typically the result of working the dough too much (again, gluten ).

What do you brush a pie before baking?

In baking, many recipes call for an egg wash to be brushed on the baked goods before it goes into the oven. The purpose of this is to give the final product a golden brown color that is slightly shiny. Egg washes can make the final product look more professional, a bit crispier, or act as a binder."

Is it better to use butter or crisco for pie crust?

Butter for flakiness and flavor, and shortening for its high melting point and ability to help the crust hold shape . You can use butter-flavor shortening if desired. If you want to skip the shortening, feel free to try this all-butter pie crust instead.

What is the most important rule in making a pie crust?

PIE DOUGH RULES As important as not overmixing is staying chilled , literally!! That means keeping all elements cold— your counter, ingredients, hands, heart (just kidding!). No, but seriously, cut up your butter into little cubes and chill them before you incorporate them into the flour.

What is the golden rule of pastry?

The first golden rule of making pastry; keep the ingredients, the bowl and the hands as cool as possible .

What is the number 2 most important thing when making pie crust?

#2— Add cold water Add the ice water gradually to the dough, about one tablespoon or so at a time, and stop when the dough is just moist enough to hold together when a handful is squeezed.

How long should pie dough rest?

Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to overnight . Tip: Chilling hardens the fat in the dough, which will help the crust maintain its structure as it bakes. And the short rest before rolling relaxes the dough's gluten, helping prevent a tough crust.

What makes a high quality pie?

The following are characteristics of a good pie: Crust is uniformly browned and golden brown around the side, somewhat lighter brown on bottom. Crust is flaky and tender. Filling is firm, smooth, and sufficiently cooked. Flavor is well-blended, with the filling characteristic for that kind of pie.

How do you judge a good pie?

Pies should have generous, well distributed fruit as well as, good color and definition . Crust & Filling: The judges will evaluate two primary components of a pie – individually and then as a combined entity. These two components are the crust and the filling.

10 Easy Tips to Make the Best Pies (2024)

1. Keep ingredients cold.

Butter should be kept refrigerated until using; solid vegetable shortening can be stored in the freezer without freezing hard as a rock.
Add ice cubes to a measuring cup and fill it with more water than you'll need; add ice-cold water to the pastry mixture a tablespoon at a time.
Great pie starts with a great crust. Learn how to make pie crusts.

2. Refrigerate the dough after every step.

Wrap and chill dough immediately after mixing so that the flour can absorb all the liquid.
Chill it after rolling it out and lining the pie pan, to relax the dough and prevent it from shrinking in the oven.
For double-crust pies, roll out the top crust and refrigerate it on a flat plate or parchment-lined sheet pan while you prepare the pie filling.

3. Handle the dough as little as possible.

Try to patch cracks in your dough rather than re-rolling the crust. Over-handling makes the pastry tough.

4. Use as little flour as possible when rolling out the dough.

The pastry can absorb extra flour, which will also make it tough. After rolling out the dough, brush off loose flour with a pastry brush or gently brush it with the edge of a clean kitchen towel.

5. Bake plain crusts or filled pies in a hot oven to set the crust's structure.

Most recipes call for a high initial temperature and then a reduced oven temperature for the rest of the baking time. For quiches, custard pies, and cream pies, it's a good idea to pre-bake the crust, a.k.a. "blind baking" the crust. Here's how to blind bake a pie crust.

6. Vent double-crust pies.

Cut slits in the top crust or use decorative cutters. This allows steam to escape, which is especially important for fruits with high moisture content. You can also create a lattice top for the pie. See how to make a lattice pie crust the easy way.

7. Use aluminum foil or "pie shields" to protect the crust.

Loosely fold two-inch-wide strips of foil around the edges of the crust to keep it from getting too dark during the long bake time.

8. Bake pies on the lowest oven rack on a preheated sheet pan.

This helps prevent soggy bottom crusts. A rimmed pan also prevents juicy fruit pies from bubbling over onto your oven floor.

9. Bake your pies long enough.

Fruit pies, in order to thicken properly, need to be hot enough for the filling to boil. Custard pies require delicate handling: if you over-bake them, they can crack, pull away from the crust, and "weep," or lose moisture. Custard pies are done when a knife tip inserted an inch from the center comes out clean (the center will firm up as the pie cools).

More: How to Bake Custard Pies

10. Let pies cool before serving.

The filling needs time to set or else the pie will be runny. Bake your pies well in advance of your holiday meal so that the filling has time to set -- a warm pie does not make for easy slicing.

If your family prefers warm pie, cover the pie loosely with foil and warm in a preheated 300 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes before serving. Fruit pies should cool at least four hours before slicing; custard pies should cool for two hours before serving or being refrigerated.

Adorn Your Pie

Use cutout shapes, crimps, braids, and other fun tricks to make your pie look like a party on a plate. See how to make a fluted pie crust.

Add a festive touch to your pies even after they're baked. This is also a great way to hide cracks in pumpkin pie.

Use extra dough to cut out leaf shapes; mini leaf cutters are available at many kitchen stores.
Using the back of a paring knife or a dull butter knife, press veins in the leaves. Brush the dough shapes with egg wash and bake on a lined baking sheet in a 375 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown (small leaves will require less baking time).
Arrange a trio of leaves in the center of the pie (or artfully covering any flaws) and garnish with a few cranberries frosted with superfine sugar.

Try this recipe: Homemade Fresh Pumpkin Pie

How to Serve Pie

Make your pie extra decadent by serving it with a dollop of whipped cream. For a boost of flavor, add two tablespoons of sugar (or more to taste) and teaspoon of vanilla extract to every two cups of heavy whipping cream — or make it even merrier with a splash of liqueur. For a delicious sweet-tart topping, use half sour cream (not low-fat) and heavy cream. Check out how to make whipped cream 8 ways.

Check out our collections of Pie Recipes and Pie Crust Recipes.