I finally figured out why my pie crust kept shrinking in the pan

For years I blamed my oven or the recipe whenever my pie crust pulled away from the edges. But last month I watched my neighbor roll out her dough and noticed she let it rest in the fridge for a full 45 minutes before baking. I always rushed that part thinking it didn't matter. So I tried her method with my last apple pie and the crust held its shape perfectly for the first time. The difference was the gluten relaxing enough so it didn't snap back while baking. Now I set a timer after I line the pan and it saves me from those ugly gaps. Has anyone else found that the resting time changes their results way more than the recipe says?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryanburns5d ago

Yeah I saw something similar on a baking show once. They said letting the dough rest is actually the most important step if you want clean edges. Crazy how skipping one little chill can mess up the whole thing.

skyler_kim155d ago

Friend of mine skipped that step once and ended up with cookies that looked more like pancakes. Couldn't even tell where one ended and the other started.