Page 44 - Pie It Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes, and Other Pastries Reinvented

A NOTE FROM THE SWEETIE PIE DOUBLE-CRUSTED PIES

Baking a double crust is tricky. Why? Well, you’re filling an
unbaked round of dough with a wet filling and praying to the

baking saints that the bottom crust will actually feel some of the
heat from the oven and, fingers crossed, will bake through and not
come out in a gummy mess.
This is how you give yourself a leg up when it comes to baking
the double crust:

First, use a glass pie dish (I use Pyrex) to bake the pie. This
allows you to see the bottom of the pie and discern whether there
is any coloring to the dough, which would indicate that it’s actually
baked through.

Second, dock the bottom crust (i.e., poke holes in the bottom
crust with a fork to allow the bottom to vent and the hot air to
circulate) and then sprinkle your bottom crust with Crust Dust

before you add the filling. Crust Dust is a fifty-fifty mixture of sugar
and flour. I keep a container of it on my counter and sprinkle a
tablespoon or two (10 to 20 g) on my bottom crust, just enough to
create an even dusting, before I add the filling. This creates a bit
of absorbing action at the bottom of the crust to give your raw
dough a little barrier from the wet stuff that’s weighing it down.

Another option is to brush the bottom crust with a little egg white
and bake until the egg white has lost its glossy sheen before
adding the filling. This also creates a barrier.
Third, roll out the top crust or gently stretch the lattice so that it’s

large enough to cover the entire filling and extends to cover the
edges of the bottom crust so that the top and bottom crusts can
be neatly crimped together.

Fourth, freeze your unbaked pie before baking it. That way, the
crusts, since they are on the outside, will start to cook first. The
baking process will take longer, but it’s a small price to pay for the
guarantee of a crispy double crust.

Fifth, bake until the top crust is a dark golden brown and the filling
actually bubbles up and around the upper crust. This gives you an