How to Finish a Pie Crust
You can finish a pie crust to make it look as good as it looks. The work to make a homemade pie crust isn't close to done until the dough has been rolled thin and lowered into the pan. Even store-bought crusts require some preparation to make them taste their best. A pie crust that has been properly finished has fewer filling eruptions and cooks to an even golden brown. Serve a pie crust that holds and complements the filling with a little planning and preparation. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Bottom Crust:
- Pie pan
- Wax paper
- Pie weights or dry beans
- Fork
- Top Crust:
- One egg or 1/4 cup cream
- Whisk
- Small bowl
- Pastry brush
- Fork (optional)
Instructions
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Bottom Crust
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1
Lower the raw crust into a pie pan and cool it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
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2
Cover the chilled crust with a sheet of wax paper and fill the pie pan two-thirds full with pie weights or dry beans.
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3
Bake the pie crust in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
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4
Dump the weights or beans out of the pie pan and remove the wax paper sheet.
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5
Push a fork into the base of the pie crust about 10 times to create an evenly dispersed series of vent holes.
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6
Return the vented pie crust to a 350 degree oven for another 10 minutes or until it is golden brown.
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7
Cool the baked crust completely before filling the pie.
Top Crust
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8
Lower the top crust onto a filled pie after one or more 1-inch vents have been cut out. Use fingers or the tines of a fork to crimp the edges of the crust against the pie pan so they are all at the same height and approximately same thickness.
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9
Add one whole egg (or just the yolk or egg white) or a 1/4 cup of cream to a small shallow bowl. A whole beaten whole egg glaze gives the crust a brown and slightly less shiny finish; an egg white glaze adds a shiny surface coat without enhancing browning; and the cream glaze browns the crust without giving it a shine.
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10
Dip a pastry brush into the shallow bowl of glazing liquid, but only enough to moisten one third of its bristles.
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11
Spread a thin, even layer of the egg or cream glaze over all the exposed surfaces of the upper crust.
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12
Bake the pie at 350 degrees until the top crust is completely cooked and has the desired appearance.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Allow the pie to cool to room temperature before attempting to slice.
Serve a freshly baked pie with a scoop of creamy ice cream to contrast the crisp flaky crust.
References
- Photo Credit double crusted pie image by Leticia Wilson from Fotolia.com
