It tastes delicious & just as I remember it.... but it will not hold the edge crimping no matter what I do! The ball of my pie crust is too hard and is difficult to roll .its just like stone when i took it out from refrigerater.how to roll it for baking.It feels i have to throw it. My mom also used the same recipe, with amazing results. Always par-bake the crust if the recipe calls for it. Don't worry too much (or "overthink" as Wendy says). Helping Bakers Since 2007. Or you can use vodka in your pie crust, making it more pliable without adding gluten, a favorite trick of America’s Test Kitchen. Or just pour more wine. When the only part that moves is a 1-inch circle in the middle, it's ready. why does my pie fall apart when I cut into it? To avoid a soggy-bottomed fruit pie crust, I add 2 tablespoons of oatmeal on the raw crust. When I make lemon pie a day later it gets watery on bottom crust (why). You’re sure the vodka needs to go in the dough :D? I make Pumpkin pie from scratch, and melted butter is part of the recipe. Just sprinkle some cold water over the dough with your fingers and work it in—gently!—until the dough comes together. Mess that up, and your entire endeavor will go in vain. Then I add the fruit. This twist on classic pie dough substitutes cold cream cheese for a portion of the butter. What could be the problem? The residual heat of the pie will carry it through. Maybe this has happened to you, too. Use the glorified toast as a foundation for bruschetta, as garlic-rubbed croutons to float atop soup, or as you would melba toast. Kneed once more and assess. A kitchen scientist and dog-lover. Can Cake Batter be Mixed Ahead and Baked Later? I don’t want to waste the ingredients, but I know this won’t work for my pie. How to make a good crust that’s infrangible?? Whenever i make a pie crust with butter, I take it out of the fridge as the recipe calls for cold butter. Do you think that’s due to overworking or due to too much liquid? I am using my grandmother’s pie pastry recipe. Etiam pulvinar consectetur dolor sed malesuada. I always have to add more water than the recipe calls for thus tough crust. Nam sodales mi vitae dolor ullamcorper et vulputate enim accumsan. Do I pour all of that off before I fill the pie? Or just cover the whole thing with so much whipped cream and ice cream that no one notices. Now you want the cooking oil to spread into the dough as much as possible. : If you're extra worried about soggy crusts (maybe you've had some bad experiences in the past), you can sprinkle flour on the crust before adding the filling, or even brush the dough with a beaten egg. I am now seeing it rise to the top of the pie when it's done. Adhered with egg whites. Flour your surface lightly and dust the top of the dough, too. The dough should hold together and not look dry or crumbly – it also shouldn’t be overly wet or feel sticky. . Lay the rolling pin in the middle of the pan and unfold the dough, then press it in. Oops! It is OK to use a little more water than the recipe calls for in order to bring the pie dough together into a ball. If you're worried about being judged for your cracked pie facade, you can camouflage it easily. Maybe your filling was too liquidy. I make great pies, but always a wonderful, flaky crust. Use pastry flour or all-purpose. I hand cut the butter into the dough and I still see bits of butter. You just made your pie even better. If your pie dough breaks and crumbles when you try to roll it out, it's probably too dry. That's totally what you intended all along, right? I chill the pastry for hours before use. If you pull a pie out of the oven and the crust has shrunk and hunched onto itself, it's a sign that you didn't let it rest before baking. This is a relatively easy fix. Form the dough into a disk about 1" thick and wrap tightly in plastic wrap to chill for at least 30 minutes. I think it's just that simple. The ball of my pie crust is too hard and is difficult to roll .its just like stone when i took it out from refrigerater.how to roll it for baking.It feels i have to thriw it. while baking. It usually calls for 1/4 cup water to 2 cups flour mixture. Need firmer pie crust for hand-held meat pies. Too much liquid or butter too soft or over knead? Every time I make it I can never seem to add enough water to make a ball. I get it. I pre-baked my pie crust, and it came out shrunken, puffy, and misshapen Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator both before and after rolling it out. Once the dough is in the pie plate, let it chill for at least fifteen minutes in the refrigerator so the butter hardens. Step 2: Add cooking oil. Thanks! What am i doing wrong? There's not much to do in this situation but plate up a slice and throw on a scoop of ice cream. Nulla nulla lorem, For some, baking a pie is, as they say “easy as pie.” But for others it’s an exercise in frustration. Is there anyway to turn this into cookie without first creaming butter and sugar? Start by placing your dough on baking paper (measure and cut a big enough piece). It tastes great, but I do not want the butter to be on the top of the pie. Lift the pin and carefully move the hanging dough over to the pie pan. Use a fork to poke the crust in several places to allow steam to escape without forcing the crust to puff up. Can I cook the pumpkin on top of the stove or put it in a dutch oven and then put it on top of the crust. Hi there, it sounds like your pie crust was too dry if it came out crumbly once baked. Ask BakingSOS. Top your pie with crumbled ginger cookies, cover it with a facemask of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, or layer on some softened apples. Small pieces of fat should be visible in the dough. Increasing the moisture will help the dough become more coherent. In the future, if you fear your fruit filling will end up a little wet (this is especially common with juicier fruits, like berries, especially if they are frozen), add a tablespoon of cornstarch before baking to thicken things up. But let’s be honest, has a crumbly crust ever turned you away from a piece of homemade pie? Do you have more pie problems? My top crust is crispy and perfect except for the very center 1-2” which is doughy :-( What am I doing wrong? I don't know what I was thinking but I fully baked my crust before I put my pumpkin in the crust. I love this solution–I know you have suggested it before, but for some reason, I have never tried it! People who never, ever panic when their Swiss Buttercream seems to turn into a curdled mess. . Don't sweat it: You'll do better next time. Of course, “flaky” is the texture that you want in a pie dough, so the crust SHOULD flake apart once it is baked. Ut convallis I use very cold ingredients. I notice this especially with fruit pies, even though I place the pie on the very bottom rack to bake. If I'm extra worried about impressing people, I'll blend the butter and flour in the food processor. What Baking S.O.S. However, you do not want to add too... 3 – Use Your Hands. Instructions for Easy Pie Crust Dough In a large bowl, add the flour and vegetable shortening. To fix this, start out your pecan pie at a higher temperature, between 425 and 450 degrees F. Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F after about 20 to 30 minutes and continue baking until the pie is nicely browned and the pecan filling is bubbling. Once you’ve formed your dough, shape it into a circle, wrap it in plastic, and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Be certain the water is ICE COLD, and add just a few drops at a time. Nunc ut tristique massa. Maybe you needed to par-bake your crust. See what other Food52 readers are saying. By the time it was done baking all the trim fell off. I’m almost at the “perfect crust” but this last time I had pockets of toughness. says: As with any pie dough (regardless of the type of fat used), if the dough is dry and crumbly, try adding just a little bit more water to moisten it and bring it together in a ball. When rolling out your pastry, you may find that it begins to crumble and crack before your eyes. Here, the reverse is also true: using too little liquid will not allow enough gelatinization of the flour and there won’t be enough “glue” to hold the dough together, resulting in a dry dough. (or lard if you prefer) To start, dice the butter into small pieces. When you take it back out, it should roll more easily. suscipit in posuere in, interdum non magna. If it's a fruit pie, try putting it back in the oven for a few minutes on the very bottom rack, thus putting the underbaked bottom closer to the heat source. Letting the dough rest is key because it allows the gluten to relax so that it doesn't seize up and retract on you later. Press it lightly onto the crust and bake. Step 1: Preparing the dough. :). Just set a timer first so that you don't end up with a burnt pie. . I just attempted pie crust for the first time (for a contest, tee hee!) If your pie is fruit-filled, you can always scrape the filling into a baking dish, top it with a quick buttery crumble made with whatever's in your fridge, and bake it until it's bubbly. If it’s too crumbly, add a little more water. Top-notch recipes, expert tips, and more—it's all right this way. So it takes a bit more muscle to roll out an all butter dough. After you've molded your crust into the pie pan, use the scraps you pinched off of the edges to patch up any cracks, smoothing the seams with your fingers. Make sure you cut the fat in enough. Chilled pie dough … (Soggy Bottom Syndrome). Help! If the pastry is too crumbly to roll, put it back in the food processer, give it a few blasts until it resembles breadcrumbs again (but they will be bigger than before) add one tablespoon of water at a time (1 or 2 max) until it is right. You need to give the filling a little bit of time to settle in before slicing, or all of the fruit's juices will runneth free. In the future, there are a few ways to avoid S.B.S. I used a recipe provided by James Beard in the manual to my Cuisinart (vintage 1982). The pie looks and tastes terrific. Or make a speedy press-in olive oil crust, which never fails you. I'll probably bake a pie with it anyway, but perhaps not enter it in the contest :) How can I make the pie presentable? But it comes out of the oven with flat edges rather than my traditional crimping why won’t it hold its form?! Today is the second attempt at pie making....I hear they have ready made pie crusts in the supermarket...heading there next! And I transfer my wisdom to you. I let my apple filling sit overnight and it has shrunk up and produced a lot of juice. For best results, refrigerate all ingredients prior to making the dough - even the flour. You know, people whose desserts always look like they were sent to hair and makeup on their way to the table. Looks, it's a trifle! Cold pieces of fat will create a flaky pie crust. Pie dough can become too wet very quickly, so err on the safe side and add just a little at a time until the dough comes together in a neat ball. Sometimes they turn out excellent. Just bake it some more. Now the bottom crust is stuck to the glass pie plate and it is difficult to get the pieces out. Baking S.O.S. By adding a very small amount of water at a time, you will fix the problem of the pastry being too crumbly but you won’t ruin the dough. Thinly slice the bread and toast it in a 325° F oven until it's crisp throughout and barely golden at the edges, about 5 minutes. Warm, melted fat will turn your pie crust mushy. is making for Thanksgiving: Challah Apple Stuffing, Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda: How Chemical Leaveners Affect Baked Goods, Baking Cakes without Eggs (or Vegan Baking), Chocolate Truffle Recipe for Valentine’s Day, Christmas Cookies: Baking with Butter vs. We’re all in a hurry for fresh pie, but don’t rush the process. The Thanksgiving pie doctor is in, ready to diagnose your pie problems. This is so comprehensive and nicely written—a real pleasure to read. Maybe you were watching "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" So the other explanation could be that the butter was too soft and made for a “mealy” pie crust rather than a flaky pie crust. The idea of rolling out homemade pie dough can be intimidating. Then use a pastry blender to cut the cold fat into the flour until it is the size of small peas. A mealy texture can also be the result of the fat being “overcut” or broken down into pieces that are too small; having pea-size clumps or chunks of fat in a pastry dough creates a nice, flaky texture. Use the pastry blender to cut the shortening into the flour. If your unbaked dough is too "crumbly" and doesn't come together, you need more liquid. When you add the water, it is important to use ice cold water and sprinkle it into the flour-butter mixture a little at a time. Not only will it fortify them against sogginess, it will also bring out their lovely, nutty flavor. My mother always makes her pumpkin filling this way (she then puts it into a parbaked pie crust and finishes in the oven, but you wouldn't have to in your case.) Pie crust recipes and some helpful tips and techniques. Hi Cathy - Too late to help with last November's pie, but yes, you can cook the pumpkin filling on the stove. The double cooking gives the filling a wonderful caramelized flavor. This relaxes the gluten in the flour and makes it less elastic, meaning the pie dough will roll out more easily. Make sure your oven is hot enough: 425° F or 450° F is ideal. Vegetable Shortening. I had to roll it out 2x because it was not coming together well. The good news is you can camouflage tears relatively easily. Since pie dough is usually a glutinous dough, it needs time to rest or it shrinks to a smaller size. Shout 'em out in the comments -- we'll put our heads together and see if we can come up with a solution! If your fruit filling seems extra wet, drain off a little bit of liquid before adding it to the pan. I agree with both Wendy and Chianti's advice. Pie-making is much like an art that takes a bit of mastering, but once you know all the important steps, it’s rather easy. Cream cheese pie dough. Here then, in brief, are the 5 things you can do to help prevent your pie dough from cracking. Or just serve the pie already sliced and plated, so your guests can't see how much it shrunk in the pan. Heads up: Adding cornstarch will make the filling a little bit cloudy. When I came back I thought the top crust was not done even thought the contents had been bubbling and put it back in the oven 1t only 350 for a few minutes. If your cookie dough recipe already calls for a liquid such as milk, water, eggs or egg whites, start... 2 – Add Some Fat. Now you know better for next time. But be careful to continue adding just a little water at a time so that it does not become too wet. When I try to roll it out, it is dry and crumbly. If you did wait and your filling is still too liquidy, then, unfortunately, there's not much to do to fix it. Morbi orci magna, tincidunt vitae molestie nec, molestie at mi. Pastry is essentially a type of bread and so many different types exist that there is no one way to classify them. I made a beautiful decorative trim on my crust. Adding fat to your cookie dough will definitely soften the dough. And through trial (many trials) and error (many errors), as well as a healthy dose of internet research, I have found some tricks to help fix pie crust woes, both before and after they're in the oven. Baking S.O.S. Lard and shortening produce the most tender crusts. Easy! Do this for 2–4 minutes at a steady but gentle pace until crumbly. ), it’ll be cold. There are a couple reasons you might have been a victim of S.B.S. . To do this, put your rolling pin slightly to one side rolled-out dough circle, then fold the dough over onto it. First of all, did you transfer the pie crust to the pan using the rolling pin method? People who just "whip up" some cinnamon rolls on a weekend morning. This is a tricky problem to fix, but hope is not lost. Very slowly, teaspoon by teaspoon, add a liquid that you’ve already included to your dough. Note: The importance of using ice cold water is to keep the fat in the pie dough (lard, shortening, or butter) from melting. The Fix to Crumbly Cookie Dough The most obvious and easiest fix is to add more liquid. Why was my pie crust crumbly? Someday I want to have you over for dinner. ), so it's a real bummer when they turn mushy and soft in your pie. Next, flatten the ball in a disk shape, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 20 minutes. It's so much easier than attempting to pick it up with your hands, which will only result in pain and disappointment. Good luck! Here are five common pie crust problems and how to avoid them. If your dough gets too warm, send it back into the fridge to chill out. Instead, scoop the insides into a glass serving dish and top with cookies or whipped cream. and having rolled out half the dough, it is too dry and crumbly. 6 / 8 Ball up the pie crust. It's best to take pumpkin pie (and sweet potato pie, and cheesecake pie) out of the oven when just shy of completely set. If you’ve been baking for a while, you know that the key to the perfect pie crust is a well-baked pastry. Start with a few drops at a time, and when the dough no longer feels crumbly, stop there. I have become semi-comfortable making pie crust by following the two golden rules: use cold ingredients and don't overwork the dough. First, try mixing the fat into the dough with your fingertips. Your dough breaks when you press it in the pan. If the dough breaks, put the rolled-out crust in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes. No big. Bread flour has too much gluten to make a tender crust, and cake flour is too soft to give the proper body. Otherwise I just snap the butter in with my fingers because I like the feel of it, working quickly, hardly breathing until the ice water is added and the disk of dough is chilling in the fridge. Step 3: Work the cooking oil into the dough. Pie crust can be a tricky thing to master but the results are worth the practice. Related Questions. This is a relatively easy fix. I however am having issues! Then I roll it out just as quickly, sending a little prayer up to the butter and flour gods while I work. and the dough itself, when I rolled it out after chilling, was a dream to handle. Mix after each teaspoon—you don’t want to over-saturate it and risk gooey dough. About five minutes before the prescribed baking time is up, gently jiggle your pie. If the pastry is too crumbly still, dip your fingers in the water and spray the dough again. When the dough just starts to look like it’s coming together, stop and knead briefly to form a cohesive mass.

. It should eventually come together into a ball when you get the right ratio of water to flour. To make a crumble 'crumbly' you need to use cold butter and work it in with cold hands or a fork until just combined and resembling a breadcrumb texture. When adding the water to the butter and flour, use very cold water and add it a tablespoonful at a time. If this concerns you, invest in some tapioca starch instead, which dissolves clear. Richard’s solution: The trouble with pastry is that you need to be accurate; too much water and you’re left with shrunken, tough pastry, too little and it stays dry and crumbly. Saves starting from scratch and works great! Please respond as soon as possible thank you. This last time I put the assembled pie in the freezer for 20 minutes before baking. 1. What am I doing wrong? Stranded alone in the kitchen? Coating your tools with flour instead of putting it directly on the dough will ensure that the proper amount ends up in your biscuits, keeping them flaky but not crumbly. Solution: Flaunt the dry bread's finer points and make crostini. Just sprinkle some cold water over the dough with your fingers and work it in— gently!— until the dough comes together. Here's a video with more pointers on making pie dough: Facebook Twitter Email. First question: Did you let your pie set at least thirty minutes before cutting into it? The longer you give it to rest, the better. Storing Whole Wheat Flour to Prevent Rancidity/Bitter Taste, Salty Caramel – Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. Or, if the dough came together into a ball without crumbling apart when you first mixed it, then perhaps it was not too dry. Making pie dough isn't nearly as … Hi, I was making pie dough and my kitchen was too warm so it’s like the consistency of play dough. My pies usually turns out perfectly okay. I make pie an awful lot (birthdays, holidays, Sundays, thank-you-for-fixing-my-oven-days), and there have been many struggles and failures, typically regarding the crust. Next, pour about one teaspoon of your favorite cooking oil into the dough. This is your first pie, yeah? SO good! Good question! Sections of this page. This allows the fat to chill in case the dough warmed up from too much handling (a cold dough delivers a flaky crust). . In this world, there exists such a thing as perfect bakers. The dough was lovely, but the baked crust is too crumbly. If your pie dough breaks and crumbles when you try to roll it out, it's probably too dry. If your dough gets too warm, send it back into the fridge to chill out. Flatten it into a round disc and roll it out again. . Pie shake time! To ensure a bronzed, shiny crust, I like to give the pie a quick brush with eggwash before sending it back into the oven. Though I am an experienced baker, I still get a wee bit intimidated when making certain things: scones, sourdough bread, anything that moms specialize in. From the emails I receive, I get the feeling that many bakers don’t do this – they stop short of thorough cutting for fear of toughening the dough. Plus, if you keep your vodka in the freezer (as you should! When making pie crust, it is important to use a cold fat–either butter or shortening. Also be sure that you never pull or stretch the dough when fitting it into the pan. How to Moisten Dry Cookie Dough 1 – Add Liquid. .frozen butter, ice water, did not overprocess . Whole pecans can cost an arm and a leg (unless you have a pecan tree in your yard! How to Prevent Over-baking in a Convection Oven? But don’t panic, there’s a couple of ways that you can easily fix it. Their chief differences have to do with their fat, the type used, its proportion, and how it is introduced it into the flour. use cold ingredients and don't overwork the dough. The oatmeal serves to absorb any excess moisture from the berries. More: Vegan pecan pies deserve toasted nuts, too. Be certain the water is ICE COLD, and add just a few drops at a time. I suppose you could follow Julia Child’s example and use a little in your cooking and enjoy a little on the side . What can I do with my play dough LOL? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sounds like you have either overworked your crumble mixture or the butter has got too warm and melted all the ingredients together. You baked it too long. You can't fix a shrunken crust after the fact, but you can definitely camouflage it with some whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon or chocolate shavings.