Get Your Crust Right This Pi Day: Tips, Tricks & Freezing Hacks with stretch-tite

Pi Day (3/14) is the perfect excuse to bake up something delicious, whether it be a sweet & bright lemon blueberry tart or a savory & comforting shepherd’s pie. But no matter your filling, one thing is certain: your pie is only as good as its crust.

A perfect pie crust is flaky, tender, crisp, and flavorful. Here are expert tips, tricks, and storage hacks to help you nail it.

What Makes a Great Pie Crust

• Keep ingredients cold: Cold butter and cold water are your best friends. When cold butter hits the oven, it steams and creates pockets of flakiness.
• Don’t overwork the dough: Handle it lightly. Too much kneading develops gluten, which makes crust tough.
• Chill often: Rest dough in the fridge after mixing, again after rolling, and even after shaping in the pan. This prevents shrinkage and helps the fat stay distinct for maximum flakiness.
• Get the fat right: Butter adds flavor, shortening adds tenderness. Many bakers use a mix to get the best of both worlds.
• Molly Wilkinson has an excellent article with more tips here!

Pro Techniques Every Baker Should Try

• Rolling smart: Roll from the center outward, rotating often to keep it even. Dust lightly with flour to prevent sticking, but don’t overdo it.
• Decorating edges: Crimp with fingers, make fork patterns, or try a lattice top. Watch: TIME’s lattice crust tutorial.

Make-Ahead: Freezing & Storing Pie Dough

Image Credit: Craig Bowman, Metro Weekly

• Prepping dough hours in advance: Wrap discs of dough tightly with stretch-tite before chilling in the fridge. This prevents drying and cracking.
• Freezing to use dough more than 24 hours later: Dough or shaped crusts keep for months when wrapped in freeze-tite, which protects against freezer burn. Just thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready.
• Freezing whole pies after baking: Fruit pies freeze beautifully. Wrap cooled baked pies in freeze-tite for long – term storage.
• Pro tip: Label each wrapped crust or pie with the date.
• Looking for a more comprehensive guide on baking ahead? Check out Baker Bettie’s guide.

Share your Pi Day pie creations with us! Tag your pie photos with #StretchTite and follow us on Instagram.