Comments on: Pie anxiety: simple techniques for well-behaved piecrust. http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/ Hot Stuff from King Arthur's Hearth Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:48:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: CAROL L. http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-2680 CAROL L. Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:56:06 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-2680 but what about the soggy bottom crust? I use a glass piepan, and tapioca as a thickener. refrigerated dough. Could it be oven temp? How hot should the oven be for a pie with a browned bottom crust? <strong>Hi Carol, Typically, when you bake with glass, you reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees, as glass is such an excellent heat conductor. To help with the 'soggys', try brushing the inside of the crust with a little egg white, OR melted butter. If you use butter, refrigerate the crust again to firm up the butter. This provides a barrier between the filling and the crust. Happy Baking! MaryJane @ The Baker's Hotline</strong> but what about the soggy bottom crust? I use a glass piepan, and tapioca as a thickener. refrigerated dough. Could it be oven temp? How hot should the oven be for a pie with a browned bottom crust?

Hi Carol,
Typically, when you bake with glass, you reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees, as glass is such an excellent heat conductor. To help with the ’soggys’, try brushing the inside of the crust with a little egg white, OR melted butter. If you use butter, refrigerate the crust again to firm up the butter. This provides a barrier between the filling and the crust.

Happy Baking!

MaryJane @ The Baker’s Hotline

]]> By: PJ Hamel http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-1230 PJ Hamel Thu, 22 May 2008 03:00:10 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-1230 Gwyneth, yes, I've done that. The crust gets pretty dry, and cracks easily as you roll. It also starts to get an off flavor... much better to freeze it, rather than refrigerate. Gwyneth, yes, I’ve done that. The crust gets pretty dry, and cracks easily as you roll. It also starts to get an off flavor… much better to freeze it, rather than refrigerate.

]]> By: Gwyneth http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-1228 Gwyneth Thu, 22 May 2008 01:14:50 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-1228 Have you ever let your pie dough rest for a week before rolling out? Have you ever let your pie dough rest for a week before rolling out?

]]> By: Alanna http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-483 Alanna Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:32:58 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-483 Hi PJ, Just wanted to let you know that your post is featured on <a href="http://www.blogher.com/kitchen-tips-busy-cooks" rel="nofollow">BlogHer</a> today! ~ AK Hi PJ, Just wanted to let you know that your post is featured on BlogHer today! ~ AK

]]> By: Julie Cole http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-246 Julie Cole Sat, 29 Mar 2008 04:36:52 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-246 I love to bake pies - especially fruit pies. I'm a firm believer in using tapioca as my thickening agent (sometimes a little flour too, depending on how juicy my fruit is). Crunchy tapioca bits will ruin a pie, so I always mix my filling before I ever start the crust. That gives the fruit time to macerate and the tapioca to soften. But I wouldn't pre-cook apples because I like them to still have a little body in the end. Because of the tapioca, my pies are never done baking until I see nice thick bubbles coming from the vents. I have a lot of fans of my crumb topped pies - but the same rules apply. Always wait for bubbles. If I need to cover with foil, I do that for the first half of the baking and uncover at the end so that I get a nice crisp top. Strawberry-rhubarb season is coming soon! I love to bake pies - especially fruit pies. I’m a firm believer in using tapioca as my thickening agent (sometimes a little flour too, depending on how juicy my fruit is). Crunchy tapioca bits will ruin a pie, so I always mix my filling before I ever start the crust. That gives the fruit time to macerate and the tapioca to soften. But I wouldn’t pre-cook apples because I like them to still have a little body in the end. Because of the tapioca, my pies are never done baking until I see nice thick bubbles coming from the vents. I have a lot of fans of my crumb topped pies - but the same rules apply. Always wait for bubbles. If I need to cover with foil, I do that for the first half of the baking and uncover at the end so that I get a nice crisp top. Strawberry-rhubarb season is coming soon!

]]> By: Julie Hackstedde http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-185 Julie Hackstedde Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:37:09 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-185 I am a big fan of King Arthur; the site, the products, the recipes, down-to-earth people. I loved this story about the over-baked strawberry pie. It reminded me of the time I made a pecan pie for my husband (his favorite) after his dad had died; I wanted to comfort him. I put the pie in the oven, turned it to bake, and went upstairs to work on my sewing, not checking the oven temp! It was set at 500 from a previous broiling occasion, and by the time I realized that the good smell coming up the stairs had a burned component to it, the pie was completely ruined. My daughter gave me a silicone rolling pin and rolling mat, (from KA) and I love it. I no longer have trouble rolling out pie crust, rolled cookies, cinnamon rolls or anything else that I need to roll out. I am a big fan of King Arthur; the site, the products, the recipes, down-to-earth people. I loved this story about the over-baked strawberry pie. It reminded me of the time I made a pecan pie for my husband (his favorite) after his dad had died; I wanted to comfort him. I put the pie in the oven, turned it to bake, and went upstairs to work on my sewing, not checking the oven temp! It was set at 500 from a previous broiling occasion, and by the time I realized that the good smell coming up the stairs had a burned component to it, the pie was completely ruined. My daughter gave me a silicone rolling pin and rolling mat, (from KA) and I love it. I no longer have trouble rolling out pie crust, rolled cookies, cinnamon rolls or anything else that I need to roll out.

]]> By: Susan Reid http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-181 Susan Reid Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:30:19 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-181 Thanks, Doc! One tip I didn't get into was the issue of pre-cooking the filling. I've simmered filling on the stove, cooked it in a shallow casserole dish in the oven, and as Penny mentioned, you can also pre-cook it in the microwave. The only caveat is to be sure the cooked filling is cool before filling the pie. There are several advantages to this. For one thing, it eliminates the gap between filling and top crust, because the apples have already "collapsed". It also gives you a chance to see that you have enough thickening going on, and to adjust the flavors if you like. PJ is right: low and slow is a great way to make an apple pie, because the caramel notes it imparts are extra-yummy good! Susan Thanks, Doc! One tip I didn’t get into was the issue of pre-cooking the filling. I’ve simmered filling on the stove, cooked it in a shallow casserole dish in the oven, and as Penny mentioned, you can also pre-cook it in the microwave. The only caveat is to be sure the cooked filling is cool before filling the pie.

There are several advantages to this. For one thing, it eliminates the gap between filling and top crust, because the apples have already “collapsed”. It also gives you a chance to see that you have enough thickening going on, and to adjust the flavors if you like.

PJ is right: low and slow is a great way to make an apple pie, because the caramel notes it imparts are extra-yummy good! Susan

]]> By: Dr. Electro http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-162 Dr. Electro Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:00:12 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-162 I love to bake pies. From now on I will use plastic for rolling. I like the sound of your recipe, too. I love to bake pies. From now on I will use plastic for rolling. I like the sound of your recipe, too.

]]> By: Penny http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-156 Penny Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:08:35 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-156 oops - when I put the bowl of apples in the microwave I really only zap them for 5 minutes - surely not 50! Sorry oops - when I put the bowl of apples in the microwave I really only zap them for 5 minutes - surely not 50! Sorry

]]> By: Jackie M. http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-146 Jackie M. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:48:27 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/24/pie-anxiety-simple-techniques-for-well-behaved-piecrust/#comment-146 Thanks for the tip on the plastic, I was taught to use wax paper, but always seemed to just iron that wrinkly paper right into my pie crust. Great idea on the spray bottle, it should also work for baking powder biscuits (using milk) for the dry spots. Thanks for the tip on the plastic, I was taught to use wax paper, but always seemed to just iron that wrinkly paper right into my pie crust. Great idea on the spray bottle, it should also work for baking powder biscuits (using milk) for the dry spots.

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