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How can I keep a pie crust from shrinking when I prebake it?
A pie crust that shrinks a great deal is also one that is tough. This is a result of too much water, too high a protein flour, and or overhandling of the pastry. My cream cheese pie crust in The Pie and Pastry Bible is one that shrinks very little.
But it will help any recipe to allow the dough to relax after rolling and lining the pan for at least 1 hour, covered and refrigerated. Lining the crust with parchment and dried beans or peas until it has set also helps to keep itÃs shape. A coffee filter, the sort used for coffee urns, is just the right size and shape to line the pastry.
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to prevent my pre baked pies from shrinking I place wax paper over crust then put a pie pan on it then put a metal weight on it to hold it down works good for me.
Reply to this Posted by: Armatha Calhoun | September 22, 2008 10:40 AM #
rosary, re the butter cubes,when i use a solid 1 lb. block of butter i cut 3/4" cubes but with sticks i just cut each stick in half the long way and then again in half the long way so i have 4 long pieces and then cut each about 1/2 inch. i really don't think it makes much difference as to exact size as long as all the pieces are similar in size. the elasticity has more to do with how much you work it when gathering it together and kneading it lightly.
Reply to this Posted by: rose levy beranbaum | August 1, 2008 7:29 AM #
PIE CRUST QUESTION: Are butter "cubes" really cubes?
I don't know how to blog, couldn't find how to start a new topic. Sorry if this is in the wrong category.
Dear Rose:
When you say to cut the butter into "3/4" cubes" do you really mean 3/4" PIECES? It is impossible to get cubes (equal on all sides) from a stick of butter. It finally occured to me that my guesses as to what you really mean, i.e., the size of the "cube" I start out with, effects the length of time I process the dough before it becomes the size of "small peas" and, therefore, effects the final crust. Maybe that's why my dough in not as elastic as you describe. Still tastes good but leaks.
Rosary
Reply to this Posted by: Rosary | August 1, 2008 6:55 AM #
that is BRILLIANT! i'm having one of those why didn't i think of it moments.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | January 27, 2007 4:16 PM #
When weighting a pie crust for pre-baking I understand that it is desirable to allow moisture to escape and have used coffee filters rather than parchment or aluminum foil to that end. However I have recently been using cheesecloth instead. This has the advantage that it is easier to spread the weights out to support the edges and the hot weights are easily removed by gathering up the edges or the cloth. I cut off about a foot of standard cheesecloth and stretch it across the pastry shell - this gives two layers of cloth, plenty strong enough for the ceramic beads I use as weights. Even discarding the cheesecloth after one use this is a very inexpensive solution.
Reply to this Posted by: Colin Bowness | January 27, 2007 3:35 PM #
when they're in the package they're about 9 inches in diameter and if laid flat 15 inches. they were given to me by a restaurateur so i'm afraid i don't know more but when i needed one in an emergency for a t.v. show i went to a coffee shop and they gave me one so i suspect it's a standard coffee urn size. maybe the best thing is to go to a local coffee shop and ask them to show you what they use and tell you the filter size.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 23, 2006 12:26 PM #
Hi Rose,
In your great P&PB book you suggest lining pie crusts with large coffee filters, rather than foil, before blind-baking. I've been looking on the web for a place to buy these oversized filters, but there are so many size choices out there, I can't tell which one is the right size. Do you have a filter size or model number I could look up? Thanks!
Reply to this Posted by: Marc | December 23, 2006 11:54 AM #
mark, i've never used pasteurized eggs in the shells but i have tried the egg whites. they do put something in to stabilize them but i still add the cream of tartar and found it worked well.
have you checked the egg board's web site? if you need the link do a search for eggs on this blog but you should find it easily through google.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 20, 2006 9:01 AM #
hey jack--just found your comment from back in march! thanks so much--i agree--i have yet to improve on that brownie!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 20, 2006 8:56 AM #
I'm about to make a lemon meringue pie, using your Pie and Pastry Bible recipe and my own home-grown Meyer lemons. My question is about the meringue. You give recipes for an Italian meringue and a safe-egg meringue made by precooking the whites to 160. Have you had any experience with using eggs pasteurized in their shells? I tried them once, and couldn't seem to get the eggs whites to whip well. This would seem like any easy way to ensure safe meringues. Any suggestions on using these eggs?
Reply to this Posted by: Mark | December 19, 2006 11:14 PM #
Hi Rose. Yesterday I baked a batch of your brownies with ganache plugs. They were out of this world. I happen to have some homemade caramel in the fridge, so I gently heated it with some cream to loosen and added this in place of the ganache plugs for a few of the brownies. I then frosted the top with some of the ganache. Absolutely a hit! Thanks for sharing the recipe on your web site.
I have learned much from your web site and just ordered "The Bread Bible" from Amazon hoping to learn much more! Jack
Reply to this Posted by: Jack | March 29, 2006 4:29 PM #