Don’t Like A Soggy Pie Crust? Use a Cheese Shield | undefined (2024)

FAQs

Don’t Like A Soggy Pie Crust? Use a Cheese Shield | undefined? ›

Sprinkling just ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese over the bottom of the crust before adding the filling prevents the liquid from the corn and tomatoes from leaking into the crust and turning it soggy as it bakes.

A soggy bottom crust happens when the wet filling of your pie soaks into the raw pie dough beneath before it's had a chance to set, causing it to become sodden and gummy. This is particularly problematic with both fruit pie and custard fillings because they have high moisture content.

Give yourself a smart head start

Blind-bake your base before adding a filling to help to firm the base and avoid liquid being absorbed into it. Prick the base with a fork to help steam escape, cover with foil or parchment, and weigh it down with ceramic baking beans, uncooked rice or white sugar.

If Your Dough Is Too Wet, Rosemary Says...

“Other times it's too much water. It [also] depends on how much butter is in the pastry. It can be solved by putting it into the fridge for a few hours!”

The general rule of thumb for an egg wash is one well-beaten whole egg plus one to two tablespoons of water. More water will lighten the golden color, or for a shinier pie, you can substitute the water with cream or milk. Sometimes, an egg wash is made with just yolks for extra color—or just whites for extra shine.

You need a par-baked or fully baked crust if you're making quiche, no-bake pie, custard pie, cream pie, pudding pie, or simply want an extra-crisp pie crust. If you're making a pie that doesn't require a baked filling, you still need a baked crust.

But the one surefire way to make certain your pie's crust will be golden brown, crisp, and delicious — just as appealing as its filling — is to prebake it. That's right: bake the bottom crust first, before adding the filling.

The gluten in the flour gives pastry its texture, while fat offers flavour. If the fat melts before a strong gluten structure has formed, the pastry will end up soggy. Overly moist fillings can also contribute to a soggy bottom as the liquid will drop to the bottom of the pie and ooze into the pastry.

The pie dough is too dry!

After you cut the butter into the crust, the directions usually say something like this: Stir in enough cold water tossing with fork just until flour is moistened.

To save the day, Emily Lery says bring the temperature back down as quickly as you can, either by dropping in an ice cube or dipping the bottom of your cooking pan into a sink or bowl of iced water.

How do you get a crispy crust on the bottom of a pie? ›

After adding the dough to the pie plate, he sprinkles another heaping teaspoon of crumbs on top of the dough before adding the filling. These crumbs act as a second moisture, absorbing every last bit of moisture from the crust. Say it with us: crisp, golden and perfectly flaky crust.