14 November 2011

Pastry Pie Crust Tips

I found this list of pastry pie crust tips at: http://southernfood.about.com/cs/pierecipes/a/piecrust.htm


  • For best results, refrigerate all ingredients prior to making the dough - even the flour.

  • Use pastry flour or all-purpose. Bread flour has too much gluten to make a tender crust, and cake flour is too soft to give the proper body.

  • The pockets of fat make the flakiness in the crust. Use a pastry blender or 2 knives to cut in fat. Dough should still have some pea-size pieces. Handle as little as possible with your hands.

  • All liquids should be ice-cold.

  • For a flakier crust, substitute ice cold sour cream or heavy cream for the water.

  • Sugar in a pastry dough sweetens and tenderizes.

  • Blend liquid in just until the dough begins to hold together. Overworking toughens the dough.

  • Chill the dough for 30 minutes for easier rolling.

  • To prevent a soggy crust, refrigerate for 15 minutes before filling or seal by brushing with slightly beaten egg white, then refrigerate for 15 minutes.

  • Setting the pie pan on a metal baking sheet during baking also helps prevent soggy crusts.

  • Enhance the flavor of your dough by adding spices such as nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon.

  • Meringue won't "weep" if you blend a teaspoon of cornstarch into the sugar before beating it into the egg whites.

  • Sprinkle toasted ground nuts or fine cookie crumbs over the dough and gently press them in before filling or baking.


  • IF YOU TRY ANY OF THE TECHNIQUES ABOVE, PLEASE LEAVE US A COMMENT BELOW. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT IT. :)


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