Piechiatrist

THE PIECHIATRIST®
Answering Your Burning Questions Since 2008

Like 3.14, The Piechiatrist’s answers are mathematically perfect yet never ending in the universe. Send your “Pie Therapy” questions here.

The Piechiatrist Meets The Advice Lady

I’ve never seen pies in anything other than a round pie pan. A lot of my engineering friends continue to tell me that “pie are square.” Can you explain? —Signed, Confused
Dear Confused- Although pie is generally identified as being round, there is no right or wrong shape to hold a crust and filling. Round, rectangular, square, hexagonal, pi shaped and even an apple pie in a pumpkin cocotte may make you ask, “if it looks like a pumpkin is it still an apple pie?” The answer is Yes!

Will learning to make a pie help me to find my perfect mate?—Signed, Hoping
Dear Hoping- It’s hard to predict what will help any of us to find our perfect mates. Dough and filling certainly are well suited to one another. Becoming friends first, maybe over pie and coffee, is a good way to begin. If he/she likes sweet and you like savory and you think this will be a problem, you might want to find this out straight away.  There’s room at the table for both.

When first forming the pie dough into a disc, how dry or wet should it be?
The dough should feel slightly damp without feeling sticky like bread dough. Cool clay is another good descriptive term you might think of. 

What’s the right temperature and time for pre-baking crusts?
When you’re pre-baking, pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Put some parchment paper in the rolled out pie dough that you have placed in the pie pan and fill with pie weights. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes at that hot temperature, carefully remove the parchment paper with the weights, and place the pan back in the oven at 375 for about six minutes or so more, until it gets the right color and dries out a little bit.

What kind of pan is worthy of the perfect pie crust?
Ceramic, metal, or glass pans? You just really need to know the properties of all of them. Glass pans will bake the fastest. Use metal pans that are not shiny because shiny will deflect heat. Ceramic pans, are great for even heat distribution and heat retention and they come in pretty colors, too. 

Is all-purpose flour the best for pie crusts?
YES! 

Can I use coconut oil in my pie crust?
Yes, you can use coconut oil, but along with rapid melting, you will have a coconut flavor in your pie which is not necessarily a bad thing.  

Can I use a food processor to make dough?
 Of course you can use a food processor. Be judicious when you’re touching the pulse blade and touch it like it’s a hot potato so it doesn’t pulverize the fat! Once you get it all together, put it into the bowl and finish it off by hand adding water as needed. You lose about three to five percent on tenderness but only a true pie geek is going to notice.