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Make the perfect pie crust

The pie crust forms the base of many sweet and savory dishes, from apple pies to mince pies. As such, it’s very important to master the art of making the perfect pie crust, for which the following tips should help.

Use only cold ingredients

No matter what type of cake you’re making, cold ingredients are the key to making it as perfect as possible. In fact, professional chefs attest to the need for pie dough to never be heated above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower than that and you end up with a soggy crust.

To achieve perfect results, you must remember these tips regarding the handling of ingredients:

Fats: Whether it’s butter, lard, or shortening, always make sure they’re cold before using. Fatty ingredients that are too hot stick too much to the flour, thus producing a hard crust.

If using cold butter or margarine, cut it into small pieces or grate it with a cheese grater before adding it to the flour.

Liquids: Always use chilled, or at least cold, liquid ingredients. You also want to add just the right amount of liquid to the flour: too little water makes the dough dry and crumbly, while two makes the dough tough. Also, add the water gradually instead of pouring them in all at once.

Flour – Even flour needs to be chilled. You can use different types of flour depending on your goal: low-protein wheat flour for tender pie crusts, all-purpose flour for a more general texture.

Use the right kind of equipment

You should only use a dull metal cake pan or glass cake pan to bake the cake batter. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to invest in good quality cake plates, especially when your family loves cakes, whether it’s a special occasion or not.

You may wonder why the dull metal. Well, the shiny metal plates somehow keep the pie crust from browning evenly and properly. After all, a golden cake top is the best start to any cake!

If you use glass cake pans, you should reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees from the recommended temperature for the recipe. Also, you should never grease cake pans.

Other general tips

The base of your pie will be perfect with these general tips for baking it.

If you’re making a fruitcake, you can ensure a firm filling by cutting deep slits in the top. This is because moisture is released as it bakes, thus preventing a soggy, mushy filling.

Cover the crust with foil or a pie liner to keep it from browning more than it should. Or you can always lower the temperature of the oven.

There are many ways to keep your pie crust from getting soggy. First, you can dust it with a mixture of equal parts flour and sugar before adding the filling. Second, you can brush the unbaked bottom of the pie crust with a piece of well-beaten egg white, again, before pouring in the filling.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, are the practical tips for making perfect pie crust.

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