Today, we’ll be tackling questions about pie dough. Pies and tarts aren’t as visible nowadays, and it is overwhelming that we got quite a number of questions about them.

Q: My question is about my apple pie. How do I make the bottom crust more baked through; I don’t want it to be soggy. (Mia Florencio from Taguig)

Adoree: Mia, you should bake it on the lower part of the oven. Also, try to bake with a preheated cookie sheet laid at the bottom of the oven. The heat, prominent at the bottom, will help brown the bottom crust of your pie. And, make sure that you have some form of binder in your filling like instant tapioca or cornstarch to bind the apples in your filling and to absorb the liquid that would be excreted by the apples during baking.

Jun Jun: That’s right, Mia. Adoree’s guidelines are true and should be taken seriously when making pies. Also, if you pre-bake the pie for 15 minutes with pie weights or uncooked rice, you will have a crispier and sturdier dough. Baking at the lowest part of the oven for the pies is a general rule.

Q: H do I make my crust flakier?  I want the crust to be really flaky and tender that when you bite the pie, the crust practically falls off. Can you give tips? (Leng Bautista from Fairview)

Adoree: Making your crust flaky relies mostly on the type of fat used for the dough. You have to make sure that the fat is rubbed into the dry ingredients properly, so that you end up with crumbs, each bit of fat is well-coated with flour, and the fat does not pre-melt before the dough is baked.  These crumbs will create the flakes of your pie crust so you really have to maintain them. The oven temperature must also be correct so that the fat does not just melt and ooze out during baking.  With the right oven temperature, the fat will create those ‘pockets’ creating those flakes that you want.

Jun Jun: The fat in any pie dough recipe should never melt. When the pie bakes, the water present in the fat turns to steam creating the layers and the spaces that will make the crust very flaky. A high percentage of fat in the mixture (properly rubbed in or cut in) will always give a flakier and crustier dough. Baking at a high heat of at least 375 F is essential for the textural crust you want.

Q: Can I brush all pie crusts with egg wash? Can I repeatedly brush without making the crust soggy? (Wendy Ancog of Pasig City)

Adoree: Wendy, you may brush all pie dough with egg wash to help in the browning of the pie as well as to give it a nice sheen. The first brushing is done before you put the pie in the oven. You may do a second brushing towards the last part of baking time.

Jun Jun: Make sure that the egg wash does not drip on the sides of the pie or your pie will not rise.  The first brushing of the egg wash will give you a golden brown color and the second brushing will give you a deeper brown color that will make your baked product more appetizing.

Q: How come my pie crust slid down the sides of the pan after baking?  Was it because I had to rest it longer? I refrigerated the dough for an hour. (Marie Villarama from Quezon City)

Adoree: You should make sure that the pie dough is well-pressed into the pan. If you are doing some crimping or fluting, be sure to do that on the rim. And, be sure that the dough is sitting on the rim and not on the tip of the slanted fence of the pan. Before baking, the fat should still be cold or chilled. Pre-melted fat will also cause the dough to slide down.

Jun Jun: The sides of the pie crust must always be a bit thick and is connected to the main crust so that it doesn’t fall. There could have been some ripping or the dough could have been stretched too much in that area.

Q: Why does my pie crust move and shrink? Is it because I lack water? (Joyce Tan from Makati)

Adoree: Joyce, I think your pie dough lacked in resting time. You have to chill the dough after making it. Rest it for at least 30 minutes, the longer the better. After rolling the dough out and putting it on the pan, do another resting (chill for at least another 30 minutes to an hour).

Jun Jun: Since the pie dough was rolled out, it becomes tired and will likely move when not well rested. Pie dough should always be rested whenever it is worked, whether it is rolled out, just plainly mixed using the rubbed in method, or after it is shaped and then placed in a pie plate.

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