Page 37 - Pie Squared
P. 37
A BAKER’S DOZEN TIPS FOR SLAB PIE SUCCESS
1. It’s always a good time for slab pie.
2. All the dough ingredients must be cold, cold, cold.
3. Work fast. The dough should be made, wrapped, and in the
refrigerator as quick as a wink. It takes me exactly 53
seconds. I could trim another 5 seconds if my refrigerator
were closer.
4. Chill the slab pie dough, letting the flour absorb the liquids
and the fats firm up, before ever picking up a rolling pin.
5. Warm the slab pie dough just enough but not too much
before rolling it out. A finger pressed into the surface should
leave an indentation without any cracking at the edges.
6. Make sure the filling shines: Season with a strong hand.
7. Go ahead—decorate with panache.
8. Chill the pie before baking.
9. Bake the slab pie on a heated surface.
10. Start baking the pie in a hot oven to ensure a crispy, flaky
crust, then reduce the temperature to finish, heating the
filling and thoroughly drying the pastry.
11. Let the pie rest, and in some cases cool completely, before
serving.
12. Pie is forgiving. Perfection is not the goal. Delicious is.
13. Once you learn how to make a pie, teach someone else. Pie
is a community builder.
