The pie crust forms the foundation for many sweet and savory dishes from apple pies to minced meat pies. As such, it is very important to master the art of making the perfect pie crust, of which the following tips should help.
Use Only Cold Ingredients
No matter the type of pie you are making, cold ingredients are the key to making it as perfect as possible. In fact, professional chefs attest to the need for the pie dough to never get warmer than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Any lower than that and you end up with a soggy crust.
To achieve perfect results, you should remember these tips in relation to the handling of ingredients:
Fats – Be it butter, lard or vegetable shortening, always make sure that these are chilled before using. Too warm fat ingredients adhere to the flour too much, thus, producing a tough crust.
If you are using cold butter or margarine, either cut into small pieces or grate with a cheese grater before adding to the flour.
Liquids – Always use ice cold, or at least chilled, liquid ingredients. You also want to add in just the right amount of liquid to the flour – too little water makes for dry, crumbly dough while two much makes for tough dough. Plus, do add the water gradually instead of pouring them all at once.
Flour – Even the flour must be chilled. You can use different types of flour depending on your aim – low-protein wheat flour for tender pie crusts, all-purpose flour for a more general texture.
Use the Right Type of Equipment
You should only use either a dull metal pie plate or a glass pie plate to bake your pie crust in. Thus, it makes perfect sense to invest in good quality pie plates especially when your family is fond of pies, special occasion or not.
You may ask why dull metal. Well, the shiny metal plates somehow prevent the pie crust from browning evenly and properly. After all, a golden brown pie top is the best initial come-on for any pie!
If you are using glass pie plates, you must lessen the oven temperature by 25 degrees than the recommended recipe temperature. Also, you must never grease your pie plates.
Other General Tips
Your pie crust will turn out perfect with these general tips on baking them.
If you are making a fruit pie, you can ensure a firm filling when you cut deep slits at its top. This is because moisture is released as it is being baked, thus, avoiding a soggy and soft filling.
Cover the crust with either aluminum foil or a pie shield so as to prevent the crust from getting browner than it should be. Or you can always turn down the oven temperature.
There are many ways to prevent the pie crust from getting soggy. First, you can sprinkle it with a mixture of flour and sugar in equal parts before adding the filling. Second, you may brush the unbaked bottom of the pie crust with a well-beaten piece of egg white, again, before pouring in the filling.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, are the practical tips on making a pie crust that’s perfect.