Buzz
Pi Day—where two of my passions collide: baking and math. Oddly, baking pies became my stress-reliever when I was tackling calculus in college, and let's just say, one of those things stuck around more than the other. (Spoiler alert: It wasn't calculus.)
Regardless, this quirky holiday gives us all the perfect excuse to bake and indulge in pie, so I’ve rounded up a few of my top pie-baking tips over the years to help you create the best pies.
Pay attention to the crust
Though it’s a small portion of the pie by weight, the crust holds a huge place in my heart. A perfect crust should be light, crisp, and enhance the filling, and it deserves some serious care. First, you need to work it. Gently softening chilled dough with a bit of force keeps it cool and workable, preventing it from sticking to surfaces and ensuring it bakes up golden and flaky.
Next, there’s blind baking—baking the crust before adding your filling, whether fruit or custard—and the duration depends on the type of filling. The longer the filling needs to bake, the less blind baking the crust will require. To keep the parchment paper in place, skip the fancy pie weights and use sugar as a weight—its tiny grains fill in every gap, preventing puffy spots.
For those who appreciate the finer details, consider an egg wash (for the top), a sprinkle of cookie crumbs (for the bottom), or even some cornmeal (directly in the dough) to give your pie a little extra flair. Coming from the land of cornmeal, I’m especially fond of this incredibly forgiving crust by Dolester Miles.
It’d be a shame to put all that effort into your pie only to have the crust go soggy in transit (or while resting on the counter). Stop this disaster in its tracks with the moisture-absorbing power of Epsom salts, an inexpensive and incredibly effective desiccant.
Fill it up, buttercup
If I could give you one tip for filling pies with rich, creamy custard bases, it would be to check out A.A. Newton’s invaluable guide, which walks you through how to fill, when to fill, and how to make your life easier with the old science oven.
If I could offer you even more advice—and it turns out I can—I’d suggest adding miso to almost every pie (especially the autumn varieties), making your own golden syrup, and drawing inspiration from your favorite cocktail. I’d also recommend choosing sweet potato over pumpkin whenever you can (a classic Southern tradition), and to try this boiled cider creation (a true New England gem). And if you’re ever feeling stressed, just take it easy and make a galette. (If even that feels like too much, make pie fries and dip them in some excellent fruit preserves or curd. How bad could that be?)
