10 Tips for Baking Perfect Pies Every Time

Pie baking is a commitment. So there's nothing sadder than when your crust comes out slumpy, soggy or burnt, or when your filling is so runny it looks like a swimming pool. Whether you're making a summer cherry pie or a chocolate extravaganza for the holidays, success is in the details. Follow these tips and never apologize for mediocre pie again.

You know those iconic, delicious flaky layers in your pie crust? Cold butter is what makes them happen. But butter is slippery — it wants to melt (and will do so!) at every opportunity. And if it softens before reaching the oven then you'll end up with a tough, misshaped crust.

To ensure this doesn't happen, use ice water and cold butter when making pie dough. Minimize handling the dough and roll it out on a cold surface like a pre-chilled marble stone or a countertop quickly cooled with chill packs. If you're worried your dough is getting too warm, you can always pause and give it a quick cool-down in the fridge or freezer.

To really make butter to behave, you can freeze filled and formed pies for at least 10 minutes before baking. And if your kitchen gets balmy in the summer, you might be better off replacing about two-thirds of the butter in the crust with vegetable shortening, which won’t soften so quickly at room temperature.

A dusting of flour won't always prevent dough from sticking to the counter. The solution? Chill your dough rounds before rolling them between two pieces of floured parchment or wax paper. You won't have to scrape up stuck scraps, and you'll have an easier time transporting the dough to your pie plate.

Some single-crust pies need a little extra prebaked love so they don't get soggy, especially if they're destined to hold a pumpkin or pecan pie. Place the dough in a pie dish, line it with a large piece of foil or parchment and fill with dry beans or raw rice (to stop the dough from puffing up). Bake at 350 degrees F until the dough looks matte instead of wet, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until the bottom of the crust is just lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let it cool, then fill and bake.