Issues bakers know: Defend your pie in reverse

Because the designated Thanksgiving pie baker in my household, I’ve skilled many highs (rave critiques and empty pie plates) and lows (forgetting so as to add sugar to the filling and finicky ovens that by no means totally baked the pumpkin pie filling). However there’s one persistent drawback that rears its head almost each time I bake a pie: how one can prepare dinner the pie lengthy sufficient that the filling is ready and cooked by, with out burning the crust …

As a result of pie fillings — particularly fruit pies — typically take a very long time to totally bake, the sides of the crust can turn into overly browned earlier than the pie is cooked by. In fact, there’s a easy instrument that may stop this, the aptly named pie crust defend.

Usually product of silicone, this ring is designed to suit over your pie crust, defending it from the direct warmth of the oven. You typically place the defend in your pie towards the tip of baking, when you see the crust is taking over the right golden brown colour, and it’ll shield the crust from browning additional whilst you look ahead to the filling to totally set. (Strips of aluminum foil may also be used as a makeshift defend, however we don’t suggest it; it’s annoyingly tough to cowl the sides of a pie plate with strips of aluminum, and they tend to fall off throughout baking.)

Issues bakers know: Defend your pie in reverse — This technique virtually ensures a wonderfully golden crust.

A pie defend is nice. However you realize what isn’t nice? Attempting to position a pie defend onto the recent, partially cooked pastry of a pie that’s within the oven. Not too long ago, I had a brilliant easy lightbulb second: What if I reversed the method and put the pie defend on first, when the pastry and pie plate have been nonetheless cool, then take it off towards the tip of baking?

By doing so, you possibly can make sure the pie defend is securely fixed earlier than the pie pan goes into the oven and might deal with it simply (as a result of securing a defend to the partially baked crust whereas avoiding piping sizzling metallic is neither simple nor enjoyable). As soon as there’s about quarter-hour of bake time remaining, you possibly can take away the pie defend (it is a lot simpler to take a pie defend off a sizzling pie that put it on, belief) and permit the crust to bake uncovered to realize the right golden hue and flaky texture. Plus, it offers you a bit of additional insurance coverage — you possibly can all the time add the pie defend again on if it nonetheless takes on colour too rapidly (because it’s mainly inconceivable to overbake fruit fillings), however there’s no turning again for those who add it on too late.