We received quite a stream of questions last holiday season so expect more interesting topics in the coming issues.  Today, we focus on pie crusts.

Q: My question is about pie crusts in general. How do you make them perfectly thin without difficulties in rolling them out and transferring them to the pie pan? I hate thick pie crusts.  (Nessie Lipara of Quezon City)

Adoree: Nessie, you just have to be patient in rolling the dough out. Be sure that the dough does not stick to the work surface and to your rolling pin so dusting with enough flour should be observed. It would also help if the dough has enough liquid in it to bind it so that the dough does not crack or break when you roll it out. You should also rest the dough for at least an hour, so that it is relaxed enough to be rolled out with ease. To transfer the dough to the pan, you can loosely roll the dough into the rolling pin then roll the dough out on the pan.  You can also loosely fold the dough into quarters, then transfer it to the pan and unfold. The technique is not to stretch out the dough while putting it on the pan because you will surely break the dough.

Jun Jun: You should always remember to rest the dough long enough for easier rolling out. Also, rest the dough when you feel that the dough is moving.  It is important to remember that a smaller dough will be easier to thin out than a big large portion.  I always suggest to rest the dough even when the filling  is on it or just before it is filled. 

Q:  Hi Jun Jun and Adoree.  I would like to ask about pie crust.  Do I have to grease the pan so that the crust does not stick to it? My recipe did not say to grease the pan but the pie crust stuck to it.  What should I do? (Myrna Asuncion of Makati)

Adoree: Hi, Myrna. You do not have to grease the pie mold because the dough is already high in fat so it will not stick to the pan. I think what happened to you was either the pie crust was not yet baked through so some part might have stuck to the pan or your pie crust might have cracks so the filling leaked to the pan so it stuck to the pan. Next time you make a pie,  you have to make sure you do not have a crack or an opening and you should be certain that the pie is baked through before you take it out from the oven.

Jun Jun: Also, Myrna, if you rested the baked pie in the refrigerator, it will cause some of it to stick to the pan. 

Q:  Hi, I read your column every week and I surely learn a lot. I would like to ask about my problem with tarts.  The dough is difficult to roll out because it is so sticky and it easily breaks.  What should be done to avoid this the next time? Thanks to both of you. (Weng Eustaquio)

Adoree: Thank you for your question, Weng. I think the pie dough that you used was either a sweet dough or a cookie dough, both of which are high in sugar so the dough easily breaks and is on the sticky side. After resting in the chiller, you have to “knead” or work on the dough to make it pliable before you can roll it out. Rolling it out straight from the chiller will just break the dough. Again, knead the dough first before you roll it out. Dusting the dough with some flour will also help in keeping it from sticking to the surface but do not add too much because the crust will turn out dry and crumbly.  Sweet dough and cookie dough are meant to be on the sticky side because of the amount of sugar present in them.

Jun Jun:  Hi Weng, Adoree completed all the answers to that question. 

Q: Hello to both of you! I love your column very much. I find it very useful especially for people who love to bake like me. My question is about my lousy pie crust when I make buko pie. The crust ends up uneven because it ends up with bubbles. What is the remedy for this? (Abby Flor of  Cubao)

Adoree: Thank you, Abby. About your query, if you are blind-baking your pie dough, I suggest you put pie weights to weigh down the dough so that that it does not bubble up. The bubbling up of the dough is caused by the air that was trapped into the dough when you formed it; the fat in the dough also contributed to this. 

Jun Jun: That is correct, I suggest you also poke a fork into the dough not to make a hole but to regulate the rise of your dough. Make sure that your dough is well-rested, I love using pie dough that has rested for at least  two to three hours. 

Questions? Email us at mbdining@gmail.com.