10 Pie-Making Basics For a New Home Baker
A warm, homemade pie is the perfect Thanksgiving dessert, Nothing sweetens a celebration more than a slice of a homemade pie. If you have your pie-baking basics right, you can make all the classic pies all year round.
Here are some tips so you would never have to apologize for mediocre pie:
Butter Must Always Be Cold – For a flaky dough, ice-cold ingredients are a must. Along with cold butter, do use cold water.
Roll the Dough – Chill the dough and roll them between two pieces of floured parchment or wax paper.
Blink Bake – Place the dough in a pie dish, line it with foil or parchment, and fill it with dry beans or raw rice. Bake at 350 degrees F until the dough looks matte instead of wet, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until the bottom of the crust is just lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let it cool, then fill and bake.
To Stop the Sogginess of Fruit Filling – Toss fresh fruit with a thickener like cornstarch or Tapioca startch.
Weave the Lattice – Draw a circle of the same circumference as the top of the pie on a piece of parchment paper. Using the circle as your guide, weave the lattice directly on the parchment paper. Chill until you are ready to top the pie.
Brush Your Pie – Brush the unbaked top crust with whole milk or heavy cream for a matt finish. Use beaten whole eggs or just yolks for a glossy finish. And if you want your pie to sparkle, coat it with egg white and sprinkle it with coarse sugar.
To Stop a Soggy Bottom – Preheat your oven with a baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake the pie on this hot surface. Sprinkling some graham crackers, cookie,s or bread crumbs on the bottom crust will also help to soak up any excess moisture.
Chill the Dough at Every Stage – Chill the dough before rolling it out, chill it after placing it in your pan, chill it after you fill it.
Type of Pan – Glass bakes slower than metal, but you’re less likely to over-bake because you can see how brown your crust is going.
Add More Fruit – Throw in an extra handful or two than what the recipe calls for. The fruit will soften and sink inside when it cooks, so it is best to overfill the pie.
Don’t just wait for an occasion, make pies at home on a regular basis. The Practice will help you make perfect pies.
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