Tom’s Pie Pastry Tell-All
The jokester who coined the phrase “easy as pie” obviously never made one. As my sister contends, “Pies aren’t brownies.” There’s no simple mix-and-pour here; pies are detailed construction projects dictated by temperature, ingredients, touch, and in a lot of cases, confidence. Dough can read a hesitant hand at the quivering of a pinkie, so you need to show it who’s boss. Raise your rolling pin to the sky and proudly proclaim, “I’m going to make a great pie!”
Making a pie is more about doing a whole lot of little things right. Think of a pie as the sum of its parts; and those pieces, parts, and techniques are easy to learn and master over time, especially when a seasoned (if not crusty) baker shares tips and tricks and dismisses some pie falsehoods.
Grab your apron, pull out your favorite recipe and take a gander. These tips will bring your pies to the next level. And for the record, this is my favorite double crust dough recipe. And for those new to pie, double crust means a recipe large enough that it makes both a top and a bottom crust, or two bottom crusts depending on what you’re making. Recipe here: King Arthur Flour (Baking) Company’s Double Crust Pie Recipe
Mixing the Dough
• Cold ingredients are best, especially fats like butter, lard, and shortening. Use All-Purpose or Pastry Flour — but not bread flour which creates a tougher crust (more gluten).
• Mix the dry ingredients first, then mix in fats. I use butter and a wee bit of lard or shortening for added flakiness.
• Cube the butter (fats), and mix in flour with a sturdy fork until crumbly little bits appear throughout, with the largest lumps being about the size of peas. You can also use a food processor and standing mixer — no shame there. Let Julia show you how: Perfect Pie Dough Everytime
• Add ice-cold water, what the recipe calls for, but don’t stop there if the dough is dry. Water is not the problem. If you don’t add enough water, there’s a tendency to over-mix, and that is what makes the dough tough, not the water. Add enough water until you can mold the dough into a ball.
• Split the dough in half and create two discs; wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Overnight is even better.
Prepping and Rolling the Dough
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it stand for 20 minutes before rolling.
• Flour the surface and top of the dough lightly. With a rolling pin, pound the dough gently to flatten it a bit. Don’t worry about the ridges. They’ll disappear when you began to roll the dough.
• Start rolling from the center of the disc, and turn a quarter each time. (This keeps the dough from shrinking in the oven.) Roll the dough until it is about three inches larger than the circumference of the pie plate upside down. Work toward a thickness of a thin pancake.
• Place the dough in the pie plate (I prefer 9-inch Pyrex glass) and push down gently, never stretching. Dough should hang over the edge about one inch. Trim if necessary, with kitchen scissors.
• Crimping is best understood with visual instruction. Here’s a video I like from America’s Test Kitchen: Easy (and Unexpected) Ways to Decorate Pie Crust Edges
Fruit Pie Filling
Follow the recipe, but know that you can customize. Take notes to modify the recipe for next time if it needs improving. Experimentation and observations are your friends.
• If runny, add more thickener (e.g. cornstarch, tapioca, flour.) I use cornstarch for most fruit pies.
• If bland, add vanilla or almond extract or complementary spices.
• Don’t overfill the pie plate. Leave about a quarter inch below the top rim.
• Stay away from deep dish pie pans — they are vehicles for soggy bottoms. The only time I use a deep-dish pie pan is when I’m making and baking a chicken pot pie.
Custard Filling
• For custard pies introduce eggs to heated mixtures slowly, stirring rapidly so the eggs are not cooked in the form of scrambled eggs.
• Use a sieve to strain liquid custard and make for a smoother texture when cooked.
• For doneness, the edges should be firm, while the center third should have a slight giggle. When left to cool, custard continues to bake for about 10 minutes firming it all up.
Baking
• For the top of the crust: brush with milk and sprinkle white sugar lightly on top. This makes for a golden crust with a light shine.
• Cut five or six steam vents in the top dough, each about two inches long or use a cookie or biscuit cutter to create a center hole of the top crust. Do this after rolling out the top dough, before placing it on top of the pie.
• Once the pie is assembled, place it in the refrigerator to rest at least 20 minutes. This helps prevent shrinking pie dough when baked.
• Preheat your oven to 425° F. When that temperature is reached, place the pie in the oven mid-level, on a baking sheet in case fruit juices bubble over.
• After 20 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Rotate the pie if one side is browning more.
• If the outside edges are browning too much, cover them with strips of foil and reduce temperature to 325° F.
• Ignore baking times for pies. It’s best to check the pie every twenty minutes, and consider the stated baking time as a guideline not the gospel. Observation is a better method of determining doneness.
• Look for the fruit filling to start bubbling on the edges.
• Keep baking until the center area of the pie is bubbling like a thick syrup. (It’s not uncommon to undercook a pie.)
Out of the Oven
• Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool at least two hours; three or four is even better. If you don’t let the pie cool, the filling runs and floods the plate before it has time to set up.
• Take off your apron, grab the ice cream or whipped cream, and go to town!
I’m not a huge fan of reheating fresh pie the day it was made, as it makes a pie a soggy cobbler in most cases. (There are worse things.) If you want to re-heat the pie the next day, be gentle. Place it in a preheated 200° F oven for about 10 minutes.
Good Luck My Baker Friends!
And remember raise your rolling pin to the sky and proudly proclaim, “I’m going to make a great pie!”
Feel free to leave your pie tips or questions in the comments. Thank you!
One Last Tip: The Easiest Pie of All
Here’s a pie recipe using an oil crust and crumble top. You mix the dough, save half for the topping, and then press it in the pie pan with your fingers. Easy peasy!
Oil Dough Recipe: https://tallcloverfarm.com/8066/jeanettes-best-easy-apple-pie-recipe
The dough pressing oil crust: easiest dough of all.
I want, I want
God knows, you are most deserving.
Really comprehensive tips ! Thanks Tom. I never thought I was a pie baker because making a good crust seemed impossible. Might give it a go again 😊
Go for it Sue! I think the easiest way is to make the dough is in a food processor if you have one. Only secret is pulsing it enough and adding enough water bit by bit to make it come together in a loose ball.
Tom, you’re killing me with the pictures!!! My stomach is rumbling, and I should be calming down to go to bed… well… if I’m lucky, I’ll have visions of pies through the night.
On the other hand, you have inspired me. I found some delicious apples – just the right balance of tart and sweet, and a great texture, and have been thinking, “I should try making a pie.” So now I’m going to. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind words Michael. Let me know how the pie-making goes! Oh and this recipe is a great one too for starting out. It’s an oil crust that always works and you just press in the dough and use the rest as a crumble top: https://tallcloverfarm.com/8066/jeanettes-best-easy-apple-pie-recipe
I’ll never forget that first blackberry pie of the season, Tom!! On your back porch. So memorable. ❤️
Thank you Barbara. That was a fun summer and so wonderful to meet you.
Genius! What a beautifully written post and the photos are wonderful. Perfect instructions for pie crust scaredy cats like me or the seasoned veteran that needs inspiration before the madness of the holidays begins! Thank you, Tom Conway.
Thanks Lisa! You make a mean pie! and oooh that lemon meringue of yours is epic!
Your pies look amazing Tom. Happy Holidays to you and Gus.
Thank you Jackie! You too!
I’m just so glad you are back! I am tearing up with happiness!!
Oh Karen, that is so kind of you. You made my day! Thank you!