Pie and Pastry Bible (6 page)

I have found that a high baking temperature of 400° to 425°F.produces the best crust. I use 425°F., but some ovens run hot and will brown too fast at this temperature. For a two-crust pie, high heat and baking on the bottom work especially well, since baking on the bottom of the oven is perfect for the bottom crust and does not overbrown the top crust (except for the edges, which need protection). I find when a crust loses its shape, it is far more a function of the recipe and insufficient resting time than of the baking temperature.
If using a glass, ceramic, or dark metal pan and baking the crust blind (with weights instead of filling), start it at 425°F. but immediately turn the oven temperature down to bake at 4OO°F.

Almost all pastry bakes brilliantly in a convection oven. The circulating air produces an evenly golden brown crust. In order for the air to circulate around the pie, it needs to be baked directly on an oven rack, without a stone or baking sheet, and the heat needs to be reduced by 25°F.

In order to be full enough after cooking, a fruit pie needs a lot of fruit. A well-made fruit pie is, therefore, very juicy and usually bubbles over. Part of the solution is concentration of the juices, which often eliminates this problem entirely. Bubbling fruit juices are very sticky, so, to be on the safe side, if you have a Teflontype liner (see page 666), place it on top of a sheet of foil under the pie pan for ease in cleanup. Curve up the edges of the foil slightly to keep the juices from running onto the floor of the oven. If using heavy-duty foil, you will be able to lift the pie using the foil. If using the foil alone without the liner, grease it for ease in removal, or it will stick to the bottom of the pan.

PREBAKING FLAKY PIE CRUST (BLIND BAKING)

Flaky pie crust must be weighted if baked without a filling, or the bottom puffs (especially if baking powder is used in the dough) and the sides slip down. Parchment or a coffee filter and rice or beans are best, as they do not compact the pastry or prevent it from breathing. With foil and pie weights, the dough can end up cardboard-y in texture. The rice or dried beans can be reused many times.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. at least 20 minutes before baking.
A high temperature helps to set the crimped border before the fat in the crust starts to melt and soften.

For a large pastry shell, line the dough with parchment, pleating it as necessary to fit the shape of the pan. Cup-shaped coffee filters are even easier to use and don’t stick to the dough. Large filters, the kind used for coffee urns, available through commercial equipment outlets, work perfectly for pies and tarts. Small ones, the kind sold in supermarkets, are ideal for tartlets.

Fill the filter or parchment with rice or dried beans, making sure they are pushed up well against sides of the filter or parchment. Place it in the oven and bake for 20 minutes (15 minutes for a 4¼-inch pielet). Lift out the parchment or filter with the rice or beans and prick the crust all over with the tines of a fork, but only halfway through if the filling will be sticky or runny. Return the shell to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes more (3 to 5 minutes for a 4¼-inch pielet) or until pale golden brown (or 5 minutes for a partially prebaked crust). Check after 3 minutes and prick again if the upper layer of dough has bubbled up.

BAKING TIMES FOR PREBAKED TARTLETS AND SMALL FLAN RINGS
Bake small (3- to 4-inch tartlets or flan rings) for 10 minutes at 400°F. Remove the parchment and rice or beans, prick well with a fork, and continue baking for about 3 to 5 minutes or until pale golden brown.

Bake tiny (1-inch) tartlets for about 10 minutes or until pale golden brown. Pricking is necessary only if baking powder was used in the dough. Unmold as soon as they are removed from the oven and cool on a rack.

MAKING A FOIL RING

Tear off a piece of heavy-duty foil a few inches larger than the diameter of the pie or tart pan. As a guide, use a pot lid or cardboard circle and a pencil to mark a cutout in the center that will expose the pie’s surface but not the decorative edge. With scissors, cut out the circle. Leaving at least a 3-inch border, cut around the outside to form a ring. Shape it so that it will curve over the rim of the pie crust. This ring can be rinsed and reused several times. Disposable rings are available in baking stores (see page 665).

To protect the crimped edges of the crust,
cover them with the foil ring after the first 15 minutes of baking (or after the first 30 minutes for a double-crust pie, as they are thicker) even if they are not overbrowning; they will continue to brown, though more slowly, beneath the foil. For very long baking pies, if the top crust becomes too brown, cover it loosely with a sheet of foil and make a vent in the center to keep the crust from steaming.

BAKING PIES FROM FROZEN

Preheat the oven to 425°.
Bake for 10 minutes and then lower the temperature to 400°F. Continue baking for 25 to 35 minutes more than the specified time for a pie with 1 to 4 cups of filling, 35 to 45 minutes more than the specified time for a pie with 8 cups of filling. (Times depend on freezer temperature and will vary.)

MESSING UP

A fruit pie thickened with cornstarch must be bubbling thickly all over in order for the cornstarch to swell and do its work. (The temperature at this point will be 212°E) If the pie has not been baked long enough and after cooling is runny, all is not lost. Spoon or pour out the juices into a saucepan (or a heatproof glass measure if using a microwave oven) and heat them until bubbling and thickened. Pour them back into the pie and let them set for about 10 minutes before serving.

MOISTURE-PROOFING THE BAKED BOTTOM CRUST

EGG WHITE GLAZE
The most effective way to moisture-proof a baked bottom crust is to brush it with a thin coating of egg white. (The yolk would toughen the dough.) The residual heat of the baked crust causes the egg white to dry to a crisp finish. Allow the baked pastry shell to cool on a rack for about 3 minutes before brushing it with lightly beaten egg white so that it isn’t too hot, which would cause the egg white layer to flake off. If the baked pastry shell is no longer hot enough to set the egg white, return it to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until the egg white layer is dry and opaque. Half an egg white (1 tablespoon) will be enough to moisture-proof a 9-inch pie shell or 9½-InCh tart shell.

FRUIT PRESERVES GLAZE
Sieved apricot or seedless raspberry preserves are another effective moisture-proofer for bottom crusts and they also provide extra flavor. You will need 2 tablespoons for a 9-inch pie shell, 3 tablespoons for a 9½-inch tart shell. For raspberry preserves: Bring them to a boil and pass them through a strainer. To thicken apricot preserves for brushing on pie crust: Put the contents of three 12-ounce jars in a food processor fitted with the metal blades and process for a few seconds to break up any solid pieces. Then place the preserves in a 4-cup heatproof glass measure in the microwave and bring them to a boil. Or place preserves in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Strain them, discarding the residue in the strainer. Return them to the measure (there should be about 2¾ cups) and microwave for about 10 minutes or until boiled down to 2½ cups (on cooling, it will settle down to 2¼ cups). Or return the strained preserves to the saucepan and boil down, over medium-low heat, stirring often, until reduced to 2½ cups. The glaze will take on a deep orange color and a texture that is considerably thicker than the preserves but still has flow. If necessary, reheat the glaze just to make it fluid. A product called Apricoture (page 638) requires no heating or straining and has very low moisture, making it ideal for professionals or those who do a lot of pie baking.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
When compatible with the filling, chocolate creates the most effective moisture-proof glaze of all. Melt or quick-temper the chocolate (see page 615) and brush it onto the bottom and sides of the baked pie or tart shell. Very little is needed, as just a very thin coat is desirable. Couverture chocolate, with its higher amount of cocoa butter, is ideal, as it creates the thinnest coating. You will need only 2 ounces of chocolate for a 10- by 2-inch-high tart. Allow it to sit until set (it will dull) or refrigerate it briefly.

White chocolate also works perfectly as a moisture-proof glaze, but it adds sweetness. Melted cocoa butter, which is the same as white chocolate minus the milk solids and sugar, is the most neutral of chocolate glazes. Clarified butter, at room temperature, also works, because all the moisture has been removed from it.

GLAZE FOR THE TOP CRUST
Although a glaze applied to the top of pie dough can make it look shiny and very appealing, I find that it produces a tough crust, probably because the glaze seals in moisture and prevents the crust from breathing. A light sprinkling of sugar is the one exception. It gives the top crust shine and a delightful crunch, especially when applied on the border of a tart crust, which has less fruit beneath it to make it moist and soft. To help the sugar adhere to the crust, first brush the crust or border all over very lightly with milk.

The one time I do use an egg glaze is for lattice crusts, as they look so pretty and the small strips seem less susceptible to toughening. For the shiniest egg glaze, use 1 egg yolk lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon of heavy cream. Brush it onto the unbaked dough shortly before baking. This mixture not only freezes well for months, but also thickens a little on freezing, making it far easier to apply. Milk or water can be substituted for the cream but will produce a paler, less shiny glaze.

STORING BAKED PIES AND TARTS

For open-faced pies, cover the filling loosely with waxed paper. For pies with a lattice-top crust, cover only the cut openings on the two sides with plastic wrap.

Custard pies must be stored refrigerated. As they easily absorb other odors, but cannot be covered with plastic wrap without marring the surface, I store them under a large inverted bowl.

Meringue pies cannot be covered without damaging the meringue topping. Because the meringue itself contains a large amount of moisture that, if covered, would soften the crust, it is best to store meringue pies uncovered, either at room temperature or refrigerated.

TO FREEZE
Pies that have a top crust, or tarts with a firm topping, can be wrapped before freezing. Other pies or tarts should be frozen solid (about 3 hours in the freezer) before wrapping. Use Saran plastic wrap, which is airtight, to wrap the pie or tart. Then slip it into a reclosable 2-gallon freezer bag, expelling as much air as possible before sealing it. (Pies with meringue toppings should not be frozen.)

TESTING FOR DONENESS

Bottom pie crusts often seem tough because of underbaking. As long as there is water still remaining in the crust, it is not done. The water comes from both the liquid component and from what is contained in the butter. The crust may start to brown on the surface but still be unbaked on the inside. Water boils and starts to evaporate at 212°F. When the pie crust is not fully done, you can still hear the water bubbling inside it. It is difficult to take the temperature of a thin pie crust, but it is useful when working with puff pastry, as it is always difficult to tell if the inside is done. To take the temperature, insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the pastry. If it is less than 212°F., continue baking.

BASIC FLAKY PIE CRUST

T
his pie crust is light, flaky, tender, and very crisp. It has a glorious butter flavor and is an ideal container for any pie or tart recipe. I strongly recommend commercial or homemade pastry flour (see page 7), as it will result in a more tender crust than one made with all-purpose flour.

PASTRY FOR A 9-INCH PIE SHELL, A 9½- TO 10- BY 1-INCH TART SHELL, OR ABOUT 3 DOZEN 1-INCH TARTLETS			#1
MAKES: 12 OUNCES/340 GRAMS
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
unsalted butter, cold	8 tablespoons	4 ounces	113 grams
pastry flour or bleached all-purpose flour	1 cups + 4 teaspoons 1 cups (dip and sweep method)	6.5 ounces	184 grams
salt	¼teaspoon	•	•
optional: baking powder (if not using, double the salt)	teaspoon	•	•
ice water	2½ to 3½ tablespoons	1.3 to 1.7 ounces	37 to 52 grams
cider vinegar	1½ teaspoons	0.25 ounce	7 grams