Whether you make your own dough
or use the refrigerated variety, these tips will improve your
pie.
Tips for Single- and Double-Crust
Pies
- An easy way to transfer the
rolled-out pastry from the board to the pie plate is to loosely
wrap the pastry around the rolling pin. Carefully lift the rolling
pin, then unroll the pastry in the center of the pie plate.
- For a single-crust pie shell,
trim the pastry to 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pie plate.
Fold under the extra pastry and flute the edges. If you are going
to bake the unfilled pastry shell, use a fork to prick the bottom
and sides. Line the pastry-lined pie plate with a double thickness
of foil before baking. Bake in a 450 degrees F oven for 8 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake pie shell for 5 to 6 minutes more or
until golden.
- For a double-crust pie, after
adding the filling to the pastry-lined pie plate, trim the bottom
pastry even with the rim of the pie plate. Cut slits in top crust
for steam to escape and place on filling. Trim top pastry to
1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top crust under bottom
pastry. Seal and flute edge before baking.
- To help prevent juices from
boiling out of a double-crust pie, seal the top and bottom crusts.
After trimming the top crust to about 1/2 inch beyond the edge
of the pie plate, lift the edge of the bottom crust away from
the plate, as shown, and fold the excess top crust under it to
form a seal.
- To make a large scallop, place
your thumb flat against the outside edge of the pastry and press
dough around your thumb with the thumb and index finger of your
other hand on the inside edge of the pastry, as shown. Repeat
around the crust at 1- to 2-inch intervals. For a rickrack edge,
hold your thumb on its side and make intervals closer together.
Finishing Tips
- To keep the edge of pastry from
getting too brown, cover it with foil during the first half of
baking. To make a foil frame, fold a 12-inch square of foil into
quarters. Tear or cut out the center portion, creating an opening
about 7 inches across. Unfold and loosely mold the foil rim over
the edge of the pie.
- After adding the pie filling,
use a pastry cutter or a knife to cut the top pastry into 1/2-
to 3/4-inch-wide strips. Start the lattice with the two longest
strips crosswise to each other in the center of the filling.
Add strips on each side of the center strips about 1/2 inch apart.
Fold every other strip back as necessary to make a woven top.
Repeat until there are 5 to 7 strips in each direction.