When to Dock a Pie Crust? (2024)

FAQs

When should you dock a pie crust? ›

Docking can be called for in recipes where par- or blind-baking the crust is required. This can be the case for single-crust pies — never double-crust pies, such as your standard apple — in which the filling is cooked only for a short time, such as quiche, or does not go into the oven at all, such as pudding pies.

Taking this step ensures you'll never have to deal with post-bake raw pie dough or an overcooked filling. Not all pie recipes require it, though: Blind baking serves a purpose when the pie filling requires a shorter bake time than the crust or when the filling is cold-set, meaning it isn't baked at all.

To "dock" a pastry means to prick a pie crust with a fork before baking. This technique is a simple way to poke holes in the pastry dough. This allows the steam to escape so that the pie crust doesn't puff up in the oven. Usually, this technique is used when blind baking a pie crust before filling.

A: Docking the dough is simply a fancy way of saying prick the dough all over with a fork. This technique helps the steam to escape, preventing pesky air bubbles from ruining your perfectly flat pastry base, while also helping it to bake more evenly.

Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to overnight. Tip: Chilling hardens the fat in the dough, which will help the crust maintain its structure as it bakes. And the short rest before rolling relaxes the dough's gluten, helping prevent a tough crust.

The ideal temperature is usually “room temperature”—generally considered to be 68-72°F. Before you roll out the dough, you want the dough disc to feel like a cold stick of butter.

Some recipes like quiches recommend partially cooked pie shells because the baking time wouldn't be long enough to fully cook the dough otherwise. Pre-baking a crust can ensure that your pie or tart crust will be fully baked and browned, and not soggy.

Baking your pie on a stone or steel provides direct bottom heat which helps cook the crust to a crisp golden brown. A pizza steel takes about 15 - 20 minutes to heat up, a stone takes longer (40 minutes) so you need to plan ahead and thoroughly preheat your oven.

Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White

Coating the inside surface of the bottom crust will create a barrier to prevent sogginess.

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.

Line the crust with foil, parchment, or a paper coffee filter. Fill it about two-thirds full with dried beans, uncooked rice (or other uncooked grain berries), pie weights, or granulated sugar. Bake the crust in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes, set on a baking stone or steel if you have one.

Some bakers skip the pie weights and just dock the pie crust from the beginning, but I've never had luck this way. The sides of my pie crust still shrink down. So I always use pie weights, remove them after the edges begin to turn brown, dock the crust with a fork, then return it to the oven so the bottom cooks.

The process of docking is simple: It involves rolling out your dough, then pricking a bunch of holes across the surface with a fork or a docker.

Chilling the dough allows time for the gluten strands in the flour to relax, which makes the dough easier to roll out and keeps it from shrinking while baking. Chilling helps moisture work throughout the dough, making it smoother and easier to roll out.

If your recipe says to bake the pastry before adding fillings, you'll want to prick the surface all over with a fork. This technique is called docking, and it keeps the pastry from puffing up by releasing steam as it bakes.

Wrapping the crust edge is recommended for all kinds of pies: fruit pies and meat pies, frozen and fresh, homemade and store-bought. Without wrapping the crust, the edges will likely burn if you try to bake the pie until the center crust is browned. The crust edge is thinner and easily burns.

You can keep your pie dough in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be sure to allow the pastry to come to room temperature before rolling out for pie. Not ready to use your pie crust in the upcoming days? Place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.