All your pie questions, answered
Crust got you confused? Fillings have you flummoxed? We’re here to help.
With pie season in full swing, we’re here to answer all the questions you might have about baking your best pie. From tackling homemade crust to pulling your pie from the oven at just the right time, here’s your guide to making your best pies yet this season.
How do I make pie crust?
There are many ways to make pie crust, but the most straightforward one is this: Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Then cut in solid fat — butter, shortening, or a combination — until the fat has broken down into small pieces. Add just enough water for the dough to come together, then gather it into a disk and chill. After around 30 minutes, your pie dough will be ready to roll out and line a pie pan.
Watch how it’s done:
For a full recipe, we recommend our Classic Double Pie Crust (or Classic Single Pie Crust, depending on if you’re making a single- or double-crusted pie). Both of those recipes call for shortening; if you prefer butter, try our All-Butter Pie Crust.
Learn more: How to make the best pie crust
Should I add vinegar to my pie dough?
Sometimes, pie crust recipes call for a splash of vinegar in addition to water. What does that vinegar do? Conventional wisdom says vinegar helps limit gluten formation in the dough, keeping your crust tender, but that's not accurate: That small amount of vinegar isn’t enough to noticeably affect the gluten strands. Instead, that splash of vinegar will keep your dough from oxidizing and turning gray, particularly if you leave it in the fridge for several days.
Learn more: Vinegar in pie dough: What does it do?
Can I make pie crust in a stand mixer?
Yes! This is a great option if you’re multitasking in the kitchen, making a large batch of pie dough, or have hand and joint pain. It also makes better pastry. Here’s how to make pie crust in a stand mixer.
How do I roll out pie crust?
Keep your work surface, rolling pin, and pie dough lightly floured to prevent sticking. Start by rolling from the center of the dough outwards. Give the dough a quarter turn, then roll from the center outwards again. Continue this motion, moving the dough around so that it’s not sticking to your work surface. (If it is, add more flour!) Keep rolling until the crust is approximately 3" wider than the top diameter of your pie pan.
How do I crimp pie crust?
This one is really a lot easier to show than to describe. Watch and learn!
What to do with leftover pie crust?
Make pie crust cookies! Gather any leftover pie crust scraps into a ball, then roll it out to roughly 1/8" to 1/4" thick. Brush with egg wash or melted butter and sprinkle with sugar (cinnamon sugar is also nice here), then cut into strips or shapes. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet alongside your pie until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Baker’s treat!
How do I prebake pie crust?
You typically need to prebake pie crust when 1) you’re baking a single-crust pie whose filling doesn’t require any baking (think banana cream) or 2) the filling requires only a short bake at a relatively low temperature (e.g. custard); for these kinds of pie, you'll need to partially prebake the crust, as it'll finish baking once it's filled and in the oven.
The recipe you're following may explain explicitly how to prebake your crust. But if it doesn't, follow this process:
First, roll your bottom crust and place it in the pan. Crimp the edge. Chill it for 30 minutes, to relax the gluten and firm up the fat; this will help prevent shrinkage, so don't skip this step. Line the crust with foil, parchment, or a paper coffee filter. Fill it about two-thirds full with dried beans, uncooked rice, pie weights, or granulated sugar. Bake the crust in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes, set on a baking stone or steel if you have one and are using a metal pie pan. Remove the crust from the oven and lift out the liner and weights.
At this point your crust is partially prebaked and good for any pies that tend to exhibit a pale, soggy bottom crust when done, like pumpkin pie. To fully prebake the crust, prick the bottom all over with a fork to prevent bubbles. Return the crust to the oven and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until it’s golden all over.
Learn more: How to prebake pie crust — and why you should
How do I keep my pie crust from shrinking?
Start by choosing a pie crust recipe with both butter and shortening (like our Classic Double Pie Crust) as opposed to just butter. Because butter has a lower melting point than vegetable shortening, pie crust made with butter is more likely to shrink than one that includes shortening.
Then, let the pastry rest and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. This step accomplishes two things: It ensures the fat is cold, which makes it less likely to slump in the oven, and it gives the gluten in the flour a chance to relax, making it easier to roll (and less likely to shrink later). While rolling, you want to handle the dough gently; gluten responds to handling by tightening up, which can then lead to shrinkage in the oven.
When placing the dough in the pan, make sure you have at least 1" of crust overhang all around the pan’s rim, which gives you insurance against shrinkage. And press the crust firmly onto the pan’s surface after you’ve carefully settled it in, which helps anchor it to the pan. Finally, let the crust rest and chill for about 30 minutes after it’s in the pan to make sure the fat is chilled and the gluten relaxed, both of which will help keep your crust from shrinking.
Learn more: How to keep pie crust from shrinking, once and for all
Does the type of pie pan I use affect my crust?
Pie pans can be made from glass, metal, or ceramic. The biggest distinction between these materials is heat transfer. Metal conducts heat the most efficiently — in other words, it gets hot the quickest and transfers heat evenly across the pan’s surface — which is why many professionals choose aluminum pans. (Another benefit: Metal pans withstand rapid temperature changes, meaning you can take your pie plate from the fridge to the oven without worrying about shattering.)
Glass, on the other hand, is an insulator. Because glass slows the flow of heat between the oven’s air and your dough, it takes more time to heat up than metal — meaning your dough takes longer to heat too. But once it’s hot, it retains that heat well, and it stays hot for longer than metal. For pie, there’s one more bonus: The clear material means you can visibly check how brown your crust is getting.
Ceramic pie pans are usually either stoneware or porcelain, and they can vary based on the material and how it’s made. They can also vary in thickness and thus heat transfer, so ultimate performance depends on which brand you’re baking with. Overall, though, they tend to be slower to transfer heat than more efficient metal pans, though they retain heat well.
The good news: All three of these pan types will make great pie that browns nicely, so whatever you have in your kitchen should be just fine.
Learn more: Baking trials: From metal to glass to ceramic, how does your pie pan affect your crust?
How do I get pie crust to brown on the bottom?
Here’s a handy tip to ensure your pie crust turns out brown and crispy, not pale and flabby: Bake it like a pizza. By that, we mean bake your pie on a preheated pizza stone or baking steel. (Make sure to bake in a metal pie pan, as the rapid temperature change can cause glass or ceramic pie pans to shatter.) The blast of heat will help the bottom crust set and brown before any liquid from the pie filling can turn it gummy.
You can also try partially prebaking your crust before adding the filling, essentially giving it a head start on baking before adding liquid fillings.
Learn more: To avoid a soggy bottom, bake your pies like pizza
What's the best way to thicken fruit pies?
In our tests, we’ve found that fruit pie fillings thickened with Instant ClearJel and Pie Filling Enhancer have the best texture — juicy without being gummy or starchy. These two fillings also have the clearest appearance, which really allow the bright color of the fruit to shine.
That said, we’ve tried other common fruit pie thickeners like all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and tapioca, and found that each of these methods work, too: They yield a fruit filling that is stable instead of soupy, and when the pie is cut into, the filling remains intact and does not run out onto the plate.
Learn more: Baking trials: What’s the best way to thicken fruit pie filling?
Which apples are best for apple pie?
We recommend using a combination of different apples in pie to provide a variety of flavors and textures. That mixture can be a personal decision — try different options to see which you like best! We like to include a combination of these three in an apple pie: Cortland, for flavor; Russet, for texture; and Granny Smith, for its combination of the two.
Learn more: The best pie apples: Here's how to choose.
How can I tell when pumpkin pie is done?
With its already-brown custard filling, it can be tricky to nail exactly when pumpkin pie is done baking. Pull your pie out of the oven too soon and the eggs won’t have had enough time to set, leading to a runny filling when you slice it. Bake it for too long, and the eggs will over-coagulate (tighten), cracking the surface and creating a curdled mouthfeel.
Pumpkin pie is done baking when the filling is set 2" in from the outer edge. The middle should still be wobbly, with a roughly 4" circle of jiggly (think Jell-O) filling in the center.
For handy visuals (include a look at underbaked and overbaked pumpkin pie), see more here: How to tell when pumpkin pie is done.
How long does pie last in the fridge?
Pumpkin, custard, or other egg/dairy-based pies can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.
Apple and other fruit pies will last at room temperature for up to two days, then in the fridge for two more. Pie dough will last for two to three days in the fridge (wrap it well!), or up to three months in the freezer.
Learn more: How long does pie last in the fridge?
Can I make and freeze my pie ahead of time?
Yes! You can prep and freeze your whole fruit pies anytime between now and the week of Thanksgiving. You don't want to bake them — just prep pies up to the point where you'd pop them into the oven, then wrap tightly and freeze. The day before you want to bake, thaw pies overnight in the fridge. Then bake as usual the next day. See the details here: freeze and bake fruit pies.
How many slices are in a pie?
Technically, it depends on how large or small you’re cutting your slices. But typically, there are eight slices in a standard 9” pie. If you cut them larger, you can yield six slices, and if you cut them smaller, you can get around 10 slices.
Intimidated by pie? Don't be! Our guide on How to Bake Pie has everything you need for a successful, stress-free bake.
Cover photo by Kristin Teig; food styling by Liz Neily.
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