Pie dough is the basis for many sweet and savory dishes – from apple pies to mince pies. So it’s important to master the art of making the perfect pie crust, and the following tips will help you do just that.
Use Only Cold Ingredients
No matter what type of best apples for pie Canada you’re making, cold ingredients are the key to making it as perfect as possible. Professional chefs say that pie dough should be no hotter than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is below that, you will get a soggy crust.
To get the perfect result, you need to remember the following tips on how to handle the ingredients:
Fats – whether it’s butter, lard, or vegetable oil, always make sure they are chilled before using. Fatty ingredients that are too hot will stick to the flour too much, resulting in a hard crust.
If using cold butter or margarine, cut it into small pieces or grate it on a cheese grater before adding it to the flour.
Liquids – Always use frozen or at least refrigerated liquid ingredients. You also need to add the right amount of liquid to the flour – too little water makes the dough dry and crumbly and too much water makes it stiff. Also, add the water gradually rather than pouring it in all at once.
Flour – Even flour needs to be chilled. You can use different types of flour depending on your goal – low protein wheat flour for a soft pie crust, and whole grain flour for a more overall texture.
Use the Right Type of Equipment
You need to use a blunt metal pie plate or a glass pie plate to bake your pie dough. So it makes sense to invest in quality pie pans, especially if your family loves pies, no matter what occasion you’re making them for.
You may be wondering why the dull metal. Well, the shiny metal plates kind of prevent the pie crust from browning evenly and properly. After all, a well-browned pie top is the best initial attribute of any pie!
If you are using glass pie pans, you should reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees from the recommended temperature in the recipe. Also, do not grease the pie pans under any circumstances.
Other General Tips
With these general pie-baking tips, your pie crust will be perfect.
If you’re making a fruit pie, you can ensure the filling is solid by making deep cuts on the top of the pie. This will allow moisture to escape from the pie during the baking process, preventing the filling from becoming soggy and soft.
Cover the crust with foil or a pie shield so that the crust doesn’t brown more than necessary. Or you can always reduce the oven temperature.
There are many ways to keep the pie crust from getting soggy. First, you can dust it with an equal parts flour and sugar mixture before adding the filling. Second, you can coat the unbaked bottom half of the cake with well-beaten egg white before adding the filling.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a handy tip for making a perfect pie crust.
