Figured out how to keep my pie crust from shrinking, and it's a game-changer

I've been making pies for years, but the crust always pulled away from the pan. It was so frustrating, like the dough had a mind of its own. I read that chilling it in the fridge for an extra hour helps a lot. Tried it with my last blueberry pie, and it actually worked. The edges stayed up nice and tall, no more sad, slumpy sides. Such a simple fix, but it made me feel like I finally cracked the code. Now I'm excited to bake more pies without that old worry.

3 comments

3 Comments

robinb111mo ago

So does it help with blind baking too, or just regular filled pies? I started putting pie weights on a sheet of parchment paper over the crust before the first bake, and that combined with a super long chill... like overnight... seems to lock it in place. It's crazy how much the temperature of the dough matters.

calebb281mo ago

Have you ever popped the crust in the freezer for like 20 minutes after weighting it? Totally, that overnight chill is a game changer for keeping shape. I do something similar where I chill the dough twice, once before rolling and once after it's in the pan. The cold just makes the butter firm up so it doesn't melt too fast and cause shrinkage. Using those ceramic pie weights instead of beans made a big difference for me too. It's all about keeping everything cold until the oven sets it.

the_shane1mo ago

No kidding, that chill time is everything lol. I had the same problem for ages with my crusts slumping down. Started doing a full hour in the fridge after I put the dough in the pan, then another 30 minutes in the freezer right before it goes in the oven. It sounds like overkill but it totally works. The cold butter just doesn't melt as fast so the crust holds its shape better. I use dried beans as weights for blind baking and they work fine for me. Makes such a huge difference, my pies actually look decent now lmao.