Attention Bakers: Perfect Apple Pie?

[bkreigsr]

I baked my first apple pie on Saturday and it turned out - just- okay.
What's the trick to get the bottom crust to cook? My bottom crust came out soggy, even raw in spots. (my crust was Pillsbury from the dairy section)

I remember seeing an episode of America's Test Kitchen where they made the perfect classic apple pie, where they did something extra to get the bottom crust to cook and firm up.

thanks
Bill K

[Joeaksa]

A bit lower temp but longer in the oven? How was the filling? Were the edges getting too done to leave it in longer?

[s_wilwerding]

Search Amazon for "The New Best Recipe" - sorry, I can't seem to get the links to work in here.

As you say, Cooks Illustrated is a great resource, and this is their bible. Unless you plan on cooking/baking anything really off the wall, this cookbook has just about everything you need. I've made probably 50 recipes out of it, and provided that you follow the directions, they all turn out just like you expect they should.

[bkreigsr]

the filling came out perfectly yummy. I mixed 7 granny smith's with half a pint of fresh blueberries, and the flavor and texture was perfect. (forget about the part where I neglected to peel the apples and add the 3 tbsp of butter before I sealed the top).
A baker friend sugested that maybe the blueberries put the filling over the edge in liquidity and caused the bottom crust to become saturated and not cook through.
also - what's the pie dish of preference; throw-away tin foil, metal, or pyrex?

thanks for the quick responses.

[imcarthur]

Use the crust recipe on the Tenderflake lard box. Yes, lard. And only Tenderflake. It is the secret to a good flaky pie crust every time. Once you fill & top the pie, you cook for 10 minutes at 450 & then reduce it to 350 until cooked (another 20 - 30 min).

And pyrex or pottery type.

Ian

[Rick Lee]

I peel seven or eight apples, slice them very thin and mix them in a large bowl with the cinammon/sugar/butter/flour sauce before putting into the shell. I use the second shell to cut up and cover as lattice work. Then I pour more sauce over it all before baking. Comes out perfect every time.

[bkreigsr]

thanks for all the tips.
I see I'm not the only pie nut.

Ian, where is the Tenderflake box in the market?
Dairy, frozen, baking aisle, with the Crisco? I was eventually going to start getting into the pastry side of the pie making after I had the basics of the filling down to something above 'edible'.

Bill K

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by bkreigsr

Ian, where is the Tenderflake box in the market?
Dairy, frozen, baking aisle, with the Crisco?

Good question. Probably in the baking aisle since it doesn't need refrigeration. You also should pick up a pastry 'cutter' for blending the flour & the lard.

Ian

[Tobra]

keep your lard/Crisco in the fridge, use COLD water, pastry cutter to mix dough, handle crust as little as possible, try rolling it out on wax paper so you can flip it into pie pan, pyrex or ceramic pan

[Dottore]

Can we call this the masterbaker thread?

[cstreit]

Cook the crust first. THEN fill. Then bake.

[imcarthur]

I won't cook the crust first for apple. Lemon meringue pie, yes.

Ian

[javadog]

Possible causes:

Wrong dough used.
Too short a baking time.
Oven temo not high enough.
Placement in the oven, vis-a-vis the heating elements.
Blueberries don't hold their form, which can add liquidity.


You can use a pre-baked crust, if you want, and you can also pre-cook the filling.

JR

[Moses]

Originally Posted by javadog

and you can also pre-cook the filling.

JR

Best apple pie I ever made was by pre baking the bottom crust and pre cooking the filling.

[Tishabet]

Originally Posted by Tobra

keep your lard/Crisco in the fridge, use COLD water, pastry cutter to mix dough

+1, this is the secret to a great crust.

I always add some fresh lemon juice to any fruit pie... adds a bit of brightness which I really like. I also usually only use 1/2 to 2/3 of the amount of sugar called for in the recipe.

[cgarr]

I always make scratch crust, (Crisco and flour) the only thing I can think, maybe it was too thick, you really want to roll them out very thin. I roll it out on a stone. Did you use canned filling or fresh?

[PorscheGAL]

Add a tablespoon of flour to the apples. Soaks up extra liquid and thickens. Keeps the extra liquid from soaking the bottom.

[bkreigsr]

update
apple pie #2 (lifetime) came out a lot better
bottom crust was cooked all the way through
things I did different: did not add blueberries, baked the first 15 minutes on the lowest rack position, then moved it up two slots for the final 30 minutes; and, not related to the bottom crust issue - I cut the apples in bigger wedges, cut the slits in the top crust open with a pair of scissors, bought whole nutmeg and a grinder, and remembered to add two tablespoons of margarine before I sealed it.

(still could not find the Tenderflake - it was not in the baking aisle with the Crisco, and being a man, will not even think about asking someone if they (Shop-Rite) carry it, or where it is displayed)

thanks for your help

Bill K

[imcarthur]

I'm glad that you are progressing.

It would appear that Tenderflake is not available south of the border except by mail order. Pity. It is a product of Maple Leaf Foods in Canada. They also make the world's best sliced bacon.

Ian

[70SATMan]

Originally Posted by Tobra

keep your lard/Crisco in the fridge, use COLD water, pastry cutter to mix dough, handle crust as little as possible, try rolling it out on wax paper so you can flip it into pie pan, pyrex or ceramic pan

Close!!! We never kept the Crisco cold but, once you cut the Crisco into the flour mixture and have it balled up (yes, cold water for tossing it together), you want to put the ball into the fridge overnight before you roll it out. This allows the glutens to be fully absorbed into the flour mix. Makes for a much lighter crust and will cook more evenly.