Pie Crust Tips And Techniques

[Kitchen Witch]

PIE CRUST TIPS AND TECHNIQUES





There is a lot that you can do to ensure that your pie making experiences will be fuller and more enriching. There are 4 necessary ingredients in a standard piecrust: flour, fat, liquid, and salt. Flour is necessary to form the structure and bulk of the crust; fat to add moisture and to help keep the crust flaky; liquid to keep the dough somewhat pliable; and salt to enhance the flavor and brown the crust. Beyond the basic ingredients, the following information will help to you make the very best crust for all of your favorite pies.



· Refrigerate all ingredients prior to making the dough - even the flour.

· Pastry flour or all-purpose flour will make the best crust. There is too much gluten in bread flour to make a tender crust, and cake flour is too soft to give the proper body.

· To make a really tender crust, use either lard or shortening. If you prefer a more buttery flavor, you may use half lard or shortening and half butter.

· The flakiness of a crust comes from the pockets of fat that are left in the dough. Use a pastry blender or 2 knives to cut in the fat (you should still have some pea-size pieces left in the dough.

· Handle the dough as little as possible with your hands.

· All liquids should be ice-cold.

· For a flakier crust, substitute heavy cream or ice cold sour cream for water in your recipe.

· Adding sugar to your pastry dough sweetens and tenderizes.

· Blend liquid in just until the dough begins to hold together (overworking the dough will toughen it).

· Chilling the dough for 30 minutes will make the rolling easier. Chilling will also prevent the fat pieces from dissolving into the flour.

· Cut the chilled butter or shortening into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter or by pinching the fat into the mixture with your hands. The resulting mixture should have fat lumps no smaller than peas.

· Split the dough into two equal amounts, roll them into balls and wrap them in plastic before placing them in the refrigerator to chill again, for at least 30 minutes. Chilling will prevent the fat from absorbed by the flour and give a lighter texture to the crust when it is baked.

· Stir the flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl.

· You can enhance the flavor of your dough by adding spices such as nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon.





MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS



There are four basic ingredients in a pie crust, including salt. Cooks can always come up with numerous variations just by changing the basic ingredients and their ratios.



FLOUR



To promote tenderness in your pie crust, choose a low protein flour such as pastry flour. All-purpose flour is readily available and also works fine for pie crusts. You can also make your own pastry flour by substituting 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for one tablespoon of flour for every cup of flour.



FAT



Flaky crusts can be made from a variety of fats. Crusts made with all butter are very flavorful, though they are generally not quite as flaky as crusts made with shortening or lard. Vegetable shortening produces a flaky piecrust that is slightly easier to work with than one made with butter. Vegetable shortening, unlike butter, is low in cholesterol, and, lard produces the flakiest crust.



You can also make a pie crust with vegetable oil. The results won't be as flaky but it does make a very tender crust that almost melts in your mouth. Some of the best pie crusts are made with a combination of fats, part butter for flavor and part shortening for flakiness and ease of workability.



LIQUID



This is very important! When adding liquid to the flour and fat mixture, it must be ice cold in order not to melt any of the fat. Water tends to be the standard choice, but eggs, sour cream, cream cheese, and cream can also be used and add different flavors and textures to your pie crust. Always add liquid a little bit at a time. If you add too much liquid, it could cause the crust to become tough.





PREVENTING SOGGY CRUSTS


· Always chill the crust for about 20 minutes before filling.

· Brush bottom crust slightly with lightly beaten egg white then chill 15 minutes before filling.

· Bake on the bottom oven rack. For most pies, start at a high temperature for 10-15 minutes then continue baking at a lower temperature.

· Sprinkle a thin layer of toasted ground nuts, bread crumbs, fine cookie crumbs or dry cake on the crust. Press into dough before filling or baking. This also adds a nice flavor.

· Setting the pie pan on a metal baking sheet during baking also helps prevent soggy crusts.





PREVENTING DOUGH FROM STICKING


· Use a pastry cloth.

· Cover rolling pin with stockinet for easy rolling. It prevents dough from sticking with a minimum of flour required. The other, more common technique is to generously dust a clean, dry surface with flour and remove one of the packages of dough from the refrigerator. Flatten the dough slightly and dust the dough's top before rolling it out with a rolling pin.

· Start rolling at the center of the dough and work outwards. Some people prefer do this between sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap because it makes rolling and then, clean up much easier

· Quickly roll the dough into a circle 1/4 or 1/8 inch thick (the size of the circle should be about four inches wider in diameter than the pie pan). A great trick for getting the dough positioned in the pan correctly is to fold the dough in half and then into quarters. Then gently pick it up and place it into the pan so that the center point is in the center of the pan. Unfold the dough into the pan and it should be perfectly centered. If the dough cracks a little during this process, press it back together with your fingers or patch the cracks with a bit of dough from the outer edges. Then press the crust firmly into the pan and trim any excess dough from the edge. Allow for a ½ inch flap of dough around the edge for fluting or to use when sealing on the top crust.



PREVENTING THE PIE SHELL FROM SHRINKING


· Gently place pastry into pie plate and press against edge of pie plate, being careful not to stretch dough (pie pastry has a memory: if you stretch it to fit into a pan, it will shrink back to its original size and shape during baking).

· Trim edge 1" (2.5 cm) from the rim of the pie plate, then fold the edge under and flute it, hooking the edge over the rim to secure it.

· Prick bottom of crust and sides well with a fork.





TRIMMING A PASTRY OVERHANG


· When trimming pastry overhang, trim the perimeter of the pastry to extend no more than 1" over the edge of the pie plate. Fold this overhang under to make a thick pastry rim around the edge of the pan, hooking edge over the rim to secure it.

· If making a single-crust pie, crimp the edge before filling or storing.

· If making a double-crust pie, fill and roll out the top crust in the same way as the bottom, positioning it over the filling.

· Crimp the top and bottom crusts around their edges to seal.




BAKING AN EMPTY PIE SHELL


· When pre-baking a pie crust, line it with foil or parchment paper and fill it with pie weights, dried beans or rice.

· Bake until the rim just begins to color.

· Remove the foil or parchment paper, the weights, beans or rice and with a fork carefully prick the bottom and sides. Return it to the oven and continue baking until golden brown.

[Kitchen Witch]

WHAT TO DO IF:



DOUGH CRACKS WHEN YOU TRY TO ROLL IT



The dough is either too dry or too cold. If it seems to be crumbling apart, work a few sprinkles of water into it, but just try to handle it as little as possible. If it just cracks at the edges when you run the rolling pin over it, it probably just needs to warm up a little. Allow it to sit on the counter for a few minutes, but don't let it get too warm, or the layers of fat will melt together and your crust will not be flaky.





CRUST STICKS TO THE ROLLING PIN



Chill the dough before trying to roll it out. Lightly flour the countertop and the top of the dough. You can also buy a pastry cloth and a rolling pin cover. These are made from thin cotton and they will help prevent the dough from getting stuck. Be sure to lightly flour the cloth and the cover before using them.





CRUST DOESN'T BROWN ON BOTTOM



Place the pie on the bottom oven rack, and begin baking at a relatively high temperature (425- 450º F/220-230º C), then reduce it after 20 minutes or so. The initial high temperature will help the crust to brown, and reducing the temperature will allow the filling to cook thoroughly before the crust burns.





CRUST IS SOGGY



Brush the bottom crust with beaten egg white or heated jelly before pouring in the filling. Or, try partially or fully baking the crust prior to pouring in your filling. Partially baking the bottom crust can be a challenge if you're making a double-crust pie, but it can be done. Many people find it easier in this case to make a lattice top crust. You can use beaten egg to help seal the top crust to the partially baked bottom crust, since you won't be able to pinch the two crusts together like usual.


Allow the dough to sit in the refrigerator both before and after rolling it out. Also be sure that you never pull or stretch the dough when fitting it into the pan. These measures will keep the crust from shrinking. Use a fork to poke the crust in several places to allow steam to escape without forcing the crust to puff up. However, if you're baking a custard pie where the filling is baked in the crust (as opposed to a cream pie, where the filling is cooked on the stovetop and then poured into a pre-baked crust) do not poke holes in the bottom crust, or the custard will seep through the holes. Instead, you can use weights (either pie weights, which are specifically made for this purpose, or dry beans or rice) in the bottom of the crust to keep it in place. Also, be sure to line the crust with parchment paper or foil before putting in the weights.





CRUST COMES OUT TOO PALE



Increase the oven temperature. You can also brush the top crust with beaten egg or milk for a golden, glossy appearance, but, remember to do this BEFORE you cut the steam vents in the top, or you will seal them shut. If your crust recipe calls for vinegar or lemon juice, this could be the problem as well - these ingredients are used to make the crust tender, but they can also prevent browning. You can counteract this problem by adding about 1 teaspoon of sugar to your dry ingredients before mixing in the fat.





CRUST EDGES ARE BURNT



Cover crust edges with pie crust shields or strips of foil before putting pie in oven (this is easier than taking the pie out of the oven halfway through baking and trying to cover the crust without burning yourself). Then, about 20 minutes prior to the end of the baking time, remove the foil and allow the edges to brown to perfection.





CRUST IS TOUGH



Mix the dough just barely enough to combine all ingredients to form a ball, because once liquid comes in contact with the flour, it will begin to form gluten. The more you knead the liquid and flour together, the more the gluten forms; the more gluten forms, the tougher the pastry will be. Another thing you can try is substituting 1 teaspoon of the water called for in the recipe with vinegar or lemon juice. The acidity from either the vinegar or the lemon juice will keep the gluten from forming a strong structure, and the crust will not be as tough.





CRUST ISN'T FLAKY



Always chill the fat and any liquid you will be using before adding them to the flour. When combining the fat with the flour, you can crumble some of it finely, but make sure to leave some larger pieces as well. Fat that is rubbed into the flour until it has a sandy texture will promote tenderness, but it's the larger pieces that separate the layers and slowly melt in the oven that are responsible for the ultimate flakiness. For a piecrust that is both tender and flaky, use half chilled butter and half room temperature shortening - the shortening will add tenderness; the butter, flakiness. Just be sure to keep the butter in pieces that are at least as large as peas.





PIE FILLING LEAKS ALL OVER THE OVEN



Did you remember to cut steam vents in the top of the pie crust? As fruit cooks, it gives off steam, and if the steam doesn't have any place to go, it will blow holes randomly in the sides of the crust and leak pie filling all over the oven. Sometimes leaks happen even when we do cut steam vents in the crust. This is more likely to happen when a glaze of beaten egg or sugar is brushed over the pie after the vents have been cut, effectively sealing the vents shut again. Also, if the pie filling is extremely sugary, the filling can bubble up and seal the vents shut.



Sometimes, leakage is just unavoidable. To make life easier for clean-ups, cover a baking sheet with foil and place the pie on top of it before putting it in the oven. Though the pie may still leak, at least cleaning up will be a lot easier and quicker.





FRUIT FILLING IS MUSHY



If the pie filling has gone mushy, the fruit has cooked for too long. To prevent this from happening, either increase the oven temperature so the crust will cook quickly before the filling has a chance to get mushy, or cut the fruit in larger chunks so that they will not turn to mush before the pie is done.





THERE'S A BIG GAP BETWEEN THE TOP CRUST AND THE FRUIT FILLING



You piled your pie high with fruit and covered it up carefully with pastry, but now that it's done, the filling has shrunk and there's a huge space between the top crust and the filling! This happens because the fruit loses water (and therefore, volume), in the form of steam, as it cooks. By the time the fruit has cooked down, though, the top crust is already firm and it holds its original shape, even though the fruit is no longer there to hold it up. To prevent the crust-gap problem, partially cook the filling prior to putting it into the pie.



Note - If you do this, you'll need to start off with more fruit that your original recipe calls for. Place it in a large saucepan along with the other filling ingredients such as cornstarch, sugar, and spices, and cook it over low heat until the fruit gets softer and loses some of its volume. Fill the pie as you normally would, then bake it at a high temperature to keep the fruit from getting mushy before the crust is done (just remember to cover it loosely with foil during the first part of baking so the top won't burn).





CREAM FILLING IS CURDLED



Cream filling can curdle when the eggs get too hot. It's essential to temper the eggs before combining them with other hot ingredients. The idea is to bring up the temperature of the eggs slowly - if you heat them up too fast, they will scramble! To temper eggs, first place them in a bowl and whisk them thoroughly. Next, SLOWLY pour about a cup of the heated milk mixture into the eggs while you whisk constantly. Now that the eggs have been gently warmed up, you can slowly whisk this mixture into the saucepan containing the rest of the milk. If your filling recipe contains flour or cornstarch, it is okay to let the mixture come to a boil on the stovetop. Just don't let it boil rapidly - or for too long because it will burn.



Note: If your recipe does not contain any starch, boiling will cause the mixture to curdle. No matter what recipe you're using, remember to stir constantly for as long as your filling is on the stove! If you still have curdling troubles, try making your cream filling in a double boiler.




FILLING IS RUNNY


For fruit filling: use cornstarch, tapioca flour, arrowroot, or all-purpose flour to thicken it up. Depending on the juiciness of the fruit, use about ¼ cup of all-purpose flour, or 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, tapioca flour, or arrowroot.



For cream filling: make sure you cook the filling long enough after you've added the eggs. If the eggs haven't been cooked long enough, the filling can break down after it's cooled. Cook and stir the mixture for at least 2 full minutes after the eggs have been whisked in. If using instant pudding to fill your pie, be sure to serve it within a few hours - instant pudding will separate and get watery if allowed to sit for too long. If you want filling with greater staying power (and a richer, creamier taste) use ?cook and serve? pudding, or make the filling from scratch.





FREEZING A PIE



A fruit pie can be frozen whether it is raw or baked. To prepare an unbaked frozen pie, do not defrost it first. Preheat the oven to 400º F (200º C) and bake for about 50 to 60 minutes. Remember to cut steam vents in the top crust!



To prepare a baked frozen pie, allow it to thaw at room temperature for an hour, then bake it at 375 º F (190 º C) for 30-40 minutes, or until heated through. It is not recommend that you freeze either custard or cream pies.

[Kitchen Witch]

MAKING A LATTICE-TOP PIE CRUST



Create new memories with an old-fashioned lattice topped pie! Making a lattice top is not a complicated process and is a great way to present a wide variety of fruit pies, savory pies and quiches.



1. On a lightly floured surface, roll refrigerated dough out to ¼ inch in thickness.



2. Carefully cut the dough into strips approximately 1 inch wide. You use either a small knife ? or better yet, a pastry wheel to cut the dough. Even better, a ravioli wheel will give the strips a nice scalloped edge. Some cooks use a ruler as a guide to ensure straight strips (a ruler is also useful to ensure the strips being cut are identical in width). Some strips can be shorter than others, but try to keep them all the same width.



3. Moisten the lip of the pie with a small amount of water, then begin laying the strips across the pie, one at a time. If it is difficult to remove the strips of dough from the cutting board, try rolling the strips up (like a rug) and then unroll them onto the top of the pie. Press the ends of the strips firmly to the lip of the pie and break off any excess length. Continue the process of placing strips across the pie until it is complete.



4. Lattice can be made to barely cover or completely cover the pie filling - the amount of filling left to peek through the lattice is entirely a matter of style.



5. Once the pie has been covered with strips, the top can be brushed with egg or milk if the recipe you are following calls for you to do so. The lattice top can also be dusted with a cinnamon and sugar mixture to add a nice flavorful touch.





THE PERFECT MERINGUE




Making the perfect lemon meringue pie just like the ones your grandmother made is still possible ? just follow the tips below and enjoy the taste of sweet memories again.



COMMON PROBLEMS

Beading, weeping, and shrinking are common complaints with meringue pies, but they needn?t be anymore.







· Overcooking causes beading - the formation of water droplets on the surface of the pie.

· Weeping ? the loss of water between the meringue and the pie filling is caused by undercooking (meringue won't "weep" if you blend a teaspoon of cornstarch into the sugar before beating it into the egg whites).

· Shrinking is a loss of volume during baking.



It is possible to make a pie with one or even all these problems. Never fear, follow these simple steps, and success will be yours.



THE BASICS


· Always start with a clean, dry bowl. The bowl must be grease free, because any amount of oil or fat will wreck a meringue. Glass, ceramic, stainless steel, and copper bowls are all suitable. However much plastic bowls may appear clean, they may still have trace amounts of oil on their surface ? as a result it is best to not use them at all.

· Cold eggs separate easily, but eggs whip to a higher volume when at room temperature. The solution is to separate the cold eggs, and then set them aside for 10 or 15 minutes. Separate each egg into two small bowls, one for the white and one for the yolk, and then add the white portion to the larger bowl. This also allows you to reserve any with broken yolks for another purpose. NOTE - Even a small amount of yolk can deflate the egg whites, so always be careful when handling the whites.



INGREDIENTS AND METHOD

Many people have great success using cream of tartar, white vinegar, or lemon juice to stabilize the meringue. Try adding 1/8 teaspoon of one of these per egg white to the unbeaten eggs. If you are using a copper bowl to whip the egg whites in, the addition of the cream of tartar is not necessary. Continue whipping until medium soft peaks begin to form. Then beat in 2 tablespoons of white sugar per egg white and continue to beat until egg whites are glossy and hold a firm peak.



A never-fail method for producing the perfect meringue is one that uses a cornstarch and water mixture. Stir together, and heat to form a gel. Then beat gradually into the meringue. This is an excellent way to avoid shrinking problems.



Spread the meringue over piping hot filling, and spread to the edges to seal. Hot filling is necessary to insure that the inside of the meringue cooks, preventing weeping. Hint: Fine cake crumbs sprinkled lightly over the filling will absorb liquid between the layers (another preventative against weeping).



The preferred baking method is one that combines high temperatures with a short baking time. This prevents overcooking the outside (and also prevents beading). Bake at 425º F (220º C) for 4 to 5 minutes.



SAFETY with EGGS and MERINGUE


When cooking with eggs, safety is always a concern. There are several ways to insure that your meringue is safe. One way is to bake your pie at a moderate temperature, 350º F (175º C), for a longer period (about 10 minutes). Another method you can try is heating the unbeaten egg whites, gently combined with the other meringue ingredients, in a hot water bath to 160º F (70º C). With this method, you will need to measure the temperature at frequent intervals to avoid ending up with very sweet scrambled eggs. NOTE: Remember to wash the thermometer between each measurement because a dirty thermometer will contaminate your sterilized mixture. Beat eggs to stiff peaks (these eggs will probably require a longer beating time to achieve the best volume possible).







MORE on TECHNIQUES


Technique is the most important aspect to making a good pie crust. Many of these techniques have been addressed above, but they are so important, that they are worth reviewing again. Remember, as long as you follow a few simple tips your pie crusts should turn out perfect almost every time.



· All ingredients should be ice cold before they are mixed. This is especially important for the fat you are using. If you are making the dough in a food processor you can even freeze the fat before using it.



· Do not overwork the dough. Mix quickly and handle the dough as little as possible. Overworking the dough will cause it to be tough.



· Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. This helps to relax the gluten and helps to prevent stickiness when rolling out the dough. Chilling the dough also keeps the fats from melting too much and thus helps to keep the finished crust flaky.



· Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, a pastry cloth, or between two sheets of waxed paper. Roll the dough from the center out, using even firm rolls. Turn the dough as you work, about an eighth of turn for each roll will help to keep it round. Again, it is important to work as quickly as possible and to not to over-handle the dough. Once the dough has been rolled out and transferred to the pie pan let it chill in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes before filling or baking.



· When pre-baking a pie crust, line it with foil or parchment paper and fill it with pie weights, dried beans or rice. Bake only until the rim just begins to color. Remove the weights and with a fork, carefully prick the bottom and sides. Return the crust to the oven and continue baking until golden brown.



· Before baking a filled pie - and before pouring the filling into the unbaked piecrust, brush the bottom and sides of the unbaked pie crust with lightly beaten egg white or melted jelly. This will help to keep the crust crisp. To ensure that the crust stays even crisper, partially bake the piecrust before adding the filling to be baked.



· To keep the pie edges from over browning while baking cover them with strips of foil.



· Use a pie pan that absorbs heat. The best options are: glass, dull aluminum, or dark finished metal. These pans will help to ensure that your pie crusts bake to a nice golden brown color.



· When baking a double crust pie be sure that the top crust has holes cut or poked in it so that steam can escape while baking. It can be especially nice if the holes are cut or poked in a decorative pattern.