Recipe Connection: Walnut-Oat Pie Crust (2024)

FAQs

What is the best substitute for pie crust? ›

Simply press down on the edge of the crust, using the tines of a fork to both seal the dough together and leave a homey decorative pattern all around the pie. This is a great method if you are looking to get the kids involved—or they are begging you to help.

1. Slightly flatten the thickened dough around the edge of your pie plate and makes small diagonal snips in the dough. 2. Gently fold the flaps down, towards the filling, one after another, following the angle of the cuts you just made, and keep folding until you've come all the way around.

Cheese Grater: Grate the butter with a box grater, then mix it into the dry ingredients. Use cold butter, so it grates easily. You even can use frozen butter.

Remove crust from pan and center frozen crust upside down on top of filled pie. LET THAW 10-20 minutes; crimp edges together. CUT 2-3 slits in top crust. BAKE on cookie sheet as directed in your recipe.

What Is Blind Baking? In pie- and tart-making, the technique of blind baking involves baking the dough fully by itself (weighted to keep its shape) so that it can be served with unbaked fillings, like pastry cream and fruit.

Non-stick spray, butter, or shortening in the pie dish, on the other hand, will prevent sticking — but since most pie and tart crusts are pretty heavy on the butter already, you shouldn't need a lot of, if any, grease to get the job done. Using too much, or the wrong kind, can change the texture of your pie dough.

With docking, the holes allow steam to escape, so the crust should stay flat against the baking dish when it isn't held down by pie weights or a filling. Otherwise the crust can puff up, not only impacting appearance but also leaving you with less space for whatever filling you have planned.

But let's not underestimate the egg wash, a small but important step that gives the crust its shine. Lending countless baked goods (pie crust, pastries, breads, and more) a glistening golden shell, an egg wash also helps seal the dough, providing a protective barrier from the heat of the oven.

Is it better to make pie crust the day before? ›

Yes - I often do this! You can blind or par-bake pie crust ahead of time. Store it either in an airtight container, or wrapped in plastic wrap on a sheet pan for up to a day.

Once the dough is shaped and crimped, the last thing you want to do bake it right away. Chilling the shaped pie allows the aforementioned gluten to relax and the butter to get nice and cold again, both of which help your pie hold its shape better once it's in the oven.

You can skip the hardest part of make the pie – the pie dough – by simply substituting frozen pizza dough. Ingredients: 2 package dough, thawed to room temperature.

Both pastries are fantastic for making delicious pies - but I would always recommend using shortcrust for your pastry bottom, and puff or rough puff for the top. This will give you a nice crisp bottom which is sturdy enough to hold a filling as well as a lovely flaky top which has the wow factor!

Pie crust, while buttery and flaky, is not nearly as light, doughy, and crisp as this shortcut puff pastry. Yeasted pastry dough, such as something we can use for croissants, croissant bread, or a pastry braid, contain yeast.