Pie

The first recorded pie recipe was found to be written by the Romans. The first popular pies were traditionally meat pies. Today pies are filled with a variety of fillings such as meat, fruit, and custards. The first pies were not baked in the crust that we associate with pies. They were baked in “reeds” and only the fillings were made. Pies gains popularity thought out Europe with the first Cherry Pie credit going to Queen Elizabeth I. Pies came to the Americas with the English settlers but the thick crust was seen as a vessel for the fillings. As the pie evolved the crust went from vessel to part of the dish. Today Pies are a traditional American dessert.

The Ingredients for Pie Crust

1. Flour – the ideal flour for pie crust is pastry flour. It has just enough proteins to form a gluten structure that will give the dough structure but keep the gluten low enough to keep the dough flaky. Pie dough should be mixed until the ingredients are just combined. If you are making the crust and do not have enough time to chill the dough, then all purpose flour may have a better result.
2. Fat – hydrogenated shortening is the most popular fat to use for pie dough. It is soft enough to mix in but strong enough to produce a workable dough. Butter is also used but it has two down falls – it is expensive and has a low melting point. What makes it ideal is the mouth feel and flavor it adds to the crust.
3. Liquid – the cheapest and best liquid to add is very cold water. Ice water is normally used because it keeps the fat at a stable temperature and helps prevent it from melting. Milk can be used but it will cause the crust to brown quickly and is more expensive.
4. Salt – this adds to the flavor of the crust. It is best to mix it with the flour or dilute in liquid to ensure even distribution.

Mix by Hand; do not over mix. Cut shortening into flour and then add liquid as needed.

• Sometimes Sugar for added sweetness (Not required)

Simple Crisco Pie Dough Recipe

• 1 1/3 Cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Cup Crisco Shortening
• 3-6 Tablespoons ice water

Add salt to flour. With a pastry blender or clean fingers, cut shortening into flour. Add water slowly until it stays together when pressed into a ball. Do not over mix. Chill before using.

Flaky Pie Dough

The fat for this dough is rubbed, or cut into the flour, until the pieces of butter are the size of a pea or hazelnut. This allows for some gluten formation when the water is added. As the dough comes together, the pieces of fat are flatten out with the dough thus giving it the flaky texture. Used often in pies that call for blind baking as well as the top for covered pies.

Mealy Pie Dough

The fat for a mealy dough is completely cut into the flour until the mix resembles a coarse cornmeal. There should be no lumps of fat in the mixture. The flour particles have been completely encased in fat and there less liquid is used to bind this one because the flour cannot absorb it. This type of dough has a few advantages over the flaky crust.

• This is a softer crust because gluten development is kept low due to the low absorption of water with the flour.
• Once baked this dough does not absorb much liquid so it will not become soggy from its filling.

NOTE: This is a popular crust for fruit and custard pies because it does not become soggy.

3-2-1 Dough

Simple pie dough recipe that is 3 parts flour, 2 parts shortening, 1 part ice cold water, all by weight.

Starches/Thickening Agents used for pies

• cornstarch
• waxy maize-clear gel
• flour, tapioca, potato starch-cloudy
• Instant starch

Avoid lumps:  Do not put starch directly in to hot liquid. Mix in cold water first.

Cooked Juice Method-drain juice from fruit and thicken that. Add seasonings and fruit after juiced was thickened.

Cooked Fruit Method-cook fruit with juice and thicken that

Old Fashioned Method-mix flour and seasonings and put in pie crust to cook.

Fruits for Pie Fillings

Fresh-great when in season; labor intensive

The wide range of taste and color makes fresh fruit appealing. What is more irresistible than a fresh strawberry tart? However, fresh fruit has its disadvantages:

• It requires more handling. Fruit such as kiwi and banana must be peeled and cut to size.
• It is prone to spoilage due to enzyme activity and moisture level.

Fresh fruit is used as:

• An ingredient (e.g., bananas or blueberries in cakes and muffins)
• A topping for fruit flans, tarts, and cakes
• A filling along with cream in jelly rolls, layer cakes, and mousse cakes
• In sauces or coulis to accompany cheesecakes or plated desserts

Here are some tips when using fresh fruit:

• Certain fruits such as pineapple have enzymes that counteract gelatin setting.
• Fresh fruit oxidizes and changes color when exposed to air. Peeled apples may be immersed in slightly acidified water (lemon juice) to prevent this. Prolonged soaking leaches out nutrients.
• Some fruit is better broken into small pieces or puréed to minimize browning in baked products. Bananas fall into this category.
• Excess fruit, even bananas, can be frozen. In the case of bananas, freeze them in the skin, defrost and use in banana muffins or cakes; there will be some discoloration but not objectionably so in this type of product.
• When used as a topping on flans and tarts, fresh fruit is usually glazed thinly to prevent oxidation and impart a brilliant shine.

Frozen-thaw in advance; save juice

Many fruits freeze well and are convenient for the baker, with the disadvantage of having an associated energy cost.

• Frozen blueberries have less tendency to break down and discolor the batter when worked into quick bread recipes.
• Certain frozen soft fruit such as raspberries can be partly thawed in the cooler and used on fresh fruit flans and tarts. Strawberries, however, don’t work well, becoming too soft.

Canned fruit has the following advantages:

• Products have a long shelf life.
• Products are convenient. (Think of the time saved by using solid-pack apples.)
• They require no energy costs.
• Canned-heavy pack vs. solid pack  Solid pack has nothing added–it is just pureed fruit
• Some juice may be beneficial, for example, in mixes leavened by sodium bicarbonate, where the acid in the juice/syrup reacts with the bicarbonate. Crushed pineapple in muffins is an example of this.

Keep in mind that if the canned or bottled fruit is packed in syrup, the syrup may have variable ratios of sugar. Most of today’s canning uses low sugar levels. When using fruit as a topping, be sure to drain it well.

Dried fruits-always rehydrate before using

Partially dried fruits have the advantages of long shelf life and reduced bulk. Care must be taken to seal well when not in use, as the fruit can go dry and hard when exposed to air.

Raisins are the dominant partially dried fruit in baking and are used in:

• Pies and squares
• Bread and buns
• Cakes and pastries

Raisin is the commercial name given to sun-dried or mechanically dried grapes. Drying reduces the moisture content, simultaneously resulting in increased sugar content. It is the greater sugar content that preserves the fruit against bacterial attack.

The United States accounts for about one-third of the world’s raisin production, heavily centered in the San Joaquim Valley in California. Well over 90% of these are the Thompson seedless variety.

Dark raisins are dried in the sun over a period of 8 to 14 days. Golden raisins undergo a different process and are never allowed to dry in the sun.

Rehydrating Raisins

There are two methods of rehydrating raisins:

• They are soaked in tepid water at about 27°C (80°F) for five minutes, and then drained for one hour
• They are covered with water at about 27°C (80°F) and immediately drained without soaking. They are then set aside, covered, and left for a few hours. The raisins will slowly take up the moisture.

The second method is preferred because no sugar is lost from the fruit. In both cases, there is a moisture gain of about 10%. Bakers may choose to condition batches of raisins sufficient for a few days’ or a week’s supply.

Raisin Varieties Used in Bakeries

There are four main varieties of raisins used in bakeries:

• Thompson: Seedless, thin-skinned, and available in suntan or golden yellow color, they are a popular ingredient in the production of light fruitcakes.
• Sultanas: A lot like Thompson raisins except, but these are round in shape and have a trace of small edible seeds. They are firm with a tart flavor and are used in breads, buns, cakes, puddings, mincemeat, etc.
• Currants: Originating in Greece where they are called the “raisin of Corinth,” these raisins are now grown in California as the Black Zante currant. Currants are very small seedless raisins and have a very tangy flavour that is different from other raisins. (They are occasionally confused with black currants, which are a different berry, also with a tart flavour.) Bakers use them in buns, fruitcakes, and puddings.
• Muscats: Called “Muscat of Alexandria,” they were brought to California from Egypt in 1851. They are very large with a high sugar content and are famous for their flavour. They are sold as regular muscats or seeded muscats in which the seeds have been removed with special machines. They mush easily, don’t hold their shape well, and are therefore not well suited for use in bread and buns but are excellent for use in pie fillings, mincemeat, and puddings.

Storing Raisins

Natural raisins packed in bulk fiber cases can be stored for several months at room temperature without any noticeable loss in flavor or color if protected against insects. The humidity level (ideally relative humidity of 50%) is important and the raisins should be sealed well between uses. If the humidity increases too much, raisins will start to “sugar”; that is, sugar crystals will develop on the exterior surface (similar to the sugar bloom on chocolate candies). This does not mean that the fruit is unusable.

Apart from raisins, other dried fruits are widely available and can be treated and used in much the same way.

Rolling Pie Dough and Lining Pans

• Select dough
• Scale Dough
• Dust pin and dough with flour
• Roll between two sheets of waxed paper
• Place in Pan
• Seal or crimp edge
• Egg wash/sugar for a double crust pie; also cut steam holes to allow steam to escape

Baked Pies

Raw pies shells filled and then baked. Do not dock; any cracks allow filling to seep into pan with make it difficult to get the pie out of that pan.

Two Types:

Fruit Pies

• fruit fillings
• cover with top crust or streusel

Soft Pies

•  custard style fillings
•  single crust

Procedure for Baked Pies

1. Dust dough and roll between two pieces of waxed paper to about 2 inches larger than pan.
2.  Line pie pan with dough
3. Fill with cooled filling
4. Roll our dough for top crust. (or top with a crumb topping)
5. Moisten crust on rim. Place top crust on pie shell/filling.
6. Cut crust to fit pan
7. Seal crust with decorative crimping.
8. Cut seam holes in crust
9. Brush top of crust with cream or eggwash. Sprinkle with granulated or cinnamon sugar if desired.
10. Bake on lower shelf in conventional oven at 425-450 degrees. Reduce temperature if crust browns too much.

Baking Guidelines

Use lower oven shelf

Preheated oven

Start at 425-450 and then reduce

For custard pies, reduce heat after 10 min.

• custard=high quantity egg
• pumpkin or pecan

Lattice Crust

Decorative strips of crust

Labor intensive

To Avoid Soggy Bottom Crusts
Don’t under-bake

Use mealy dough for the bottom crust

High heat at the beginning

Don’t add hot fillings to unbaked crusts

Line shell with cake crumbs for fruit pies

Dark metal pie tins to absorb heat

Unbaked Pies

Preparing Unbaked Pies

• Line pan with dough
• Dock crust
• use beans while baking to help keep crust from shrinking
• Approx. 450 degrees until golden
• Cool completely
• Fill as close to serving as possible
• Chill until firm
• Top with whipped cream or meringue (bake if topped with meringue)
• Chill as long as possible
• Garnish
• Use a pie marker to help mark before cutting pie.

Two Types of Unbaked Pies: 

1. Cream Pies
2. Pudding or custard

Chiffon Pies

• lightened with beaten egg whites/whipped cream
• gelatin or starch

Meringue Pie Topping Procedure

• Stiff peaks:  don’t over beat
• Spread on pie and attach to edge
• Decorate with peaks or ripples
• Bake at approx. 400 degrees until golden
• Don’t use higher temperature
• Remove from oven and cool

Graham Cracker or Cookie Crumb Shells

Mix fine cookie crumbs with sugar and butter. Press into a pie pan very thin. Prebake before filling about 5-7 minutes or until starts to turn golden brown and becomes fragrant.

Crumb Crusts (like graham cracker crumbs)

• always pre-bake
• must be thin

Procedure for Unbaked Pies

1. Dust dough and roll between two pieces of waxed paper to about 2 inches larger than pan.
2.  Line pie pan with dough
3. Perforate dough with a fork or a docker
4. Bake shell until it starts to turn golden brown in a few spots. About 400 degrees for 6-10 minutes
5. Fill with cooled filling
6. Put in cooler for filling to set.

Meringue Topping

Tart Doughs

Tarts are made in shallow fluted pans. The doughs that are used have a tender crust, are made with butter and add to the overall flavor of the tart. They will be discussed further in the Advanced Professional Baking course.

The three main types are discussed below.

1. Pâté Brisée – the French translation is broken dough. This name is based on how the dough is put together. The fat is combined with the flour in the same fashion that you would put together a mealy pie dough. The fat is rubbed into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. There should be visible pieces of butter. This allows the flour particles to be surrounded by fat thus hampering the formation of gluten resulting in a tender pastry.

2. Pâté Scurée – the French translation is sugared dough. This dough has more sugar the pâté brisée. The extra sugar helps to keep this dough tender thus making it softer and harder to handle. It can be made using either the above method or the creaming method. The finished dough can be used for smaller tarts and pastries as well as a stand-alone cookie.

3. Pâté Sablée – the word sablée in French means ‘sand’, which describes the finished texture of this dough. The recipes usually have more fat than the brisée and less egg, which lends it its finished texture. The most common method for this dough today is the creaming method.

4. Short dough – this is a variation of the above doughs. These doughs are tender as well and that is because little gluten is formed during the making of the dough.

Puff Pastry – this dough is a versatile dough that is made in the same fashion as Danish and croissants meaning that is it a laminated dough. The main difference is that this dough has no leavening agent. This dough is cooked at a high temperature thus creating steam from the layers of fat and dough. The steam causes the dough to rise at least an inch more than is normal size. The preferred fat for puff pastry is butter due to its mouth feel and flavor. There are different methods to make puff pastry but the more layers added as well as higher fat content of the recipe will give you a better rise and product.

Makeup and Baking Puff Pastry

It is important to know the proper use of the dough. If you do not handle it properly the dough will not rise nor will it give you the desired finish.

1. Always used puff pastry when it is cool and firm. If it is soft the layers of the dough may stick together when cut thus inhibiting the dough from rising.
2. Use a sharp cutter or knife and always cut straight down. Do not twist the cutters.
3. Once the puff pastry is cut, transfer it to a baking sheet and flip it so that the cut edges are on the bottom. This allows for any layers that are stuck together to become the base of the puff and the remaining layers have the ability to rise.
4. If you are using egg wash, make sure that it is only applied to the top. Avoid anything that will interfere with the side becoming sticky.
5. It is wise to rest the dough once it has been cut to allow the gluten strands to relax and help prevent the dough from shrinking.
6. If you decide to reuse the excess dough the press them together and laminate them with the 3 fold, creating more layers.
7. Always bake the puff pastry at a temperature of 375oF to 400oF. The high heat is need to create the moisture that turns into steam that will cause the dough to rise.
8. If you are baking large pieces of puff, you can start them at a higher temperature and once they rise, you can lower the oven to finish the cooking process.