How to Make a Braided Pie Crust
Want to make a stunning, centerpiece-worthy braided pie crust, like the one in our February 2015 cover recipe? With a little patience and a steady hand, this savory pie is definitely doable, especially with this step-by-step tutorial. Ready, set, pie!
1/19First things first: You'll need enough dough for both a bottom and top crust. Roll out the bottom and set it in the pie pan, per the recipe. Now, on to the fun stuff!
This is #whatwemeanwhen we say "on a lightly floured surface." Use a sideways throwing motion—like you were skipping a stone—to cast a thin layer of flour across your work surface.
Alex Lau2/19<del></del>Let the dough sit out of the fridge for a little while, say 15-30 minutes, until it's starting to give slightly. It's easier to work with colder dough but if it's fresh out of the refrigerator, it will crack around the edges. Dust with flour again.
3/19Working your way from the center out, use even pressure to roll the dough to about 1/8" thickness. Give the dough a quarter turn every once in a while to keep your circle even.
Alex Lau4/19If the dough starts to stick use a bench scraper to lift and scrape the dough from the work surface. Dust a little more flour under the dough to prevent future sticking.
5/19Keep rolling, dusting if necessary, and turning the dough until you've reached 1/8" thickness.
Alex Lau6/19Use a ruler mark the dough at 1/4" intervals. (I am not typically an anal baker but trust me on this one.) Uneven strips will mean a wonky braid.
7/19Using the ruler as a guide, cut the dough into 1/4" stips. If you have a straight-edged ravioli or even a small pizza cutter, this is a great place to use it.
8/19Cold hands are a dough-makers best friend. If at any point during the rolling/braiding process your dough becomes too soft, transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill until just pliable again.
9/19Use a bench scraper (or large spatula) to transfer strips to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chances are this will be a good time to refrigerate again.
Alex Lau10/19Working with 3 strips at a time, braid the dough, keeping the strips as snug as possible.
11/19Transfer finished braids to prepared sheet and continue with 2 more sections. Three braids will most likely be enough to cover the circumference of the pie, but it's good to have extra strips for back up while you're getting the hang of it.
12/19Beat a large egg with a fork until white and yolk are well combined. This egg wash is your "pie glue," and will work to adhere any decoration (like that braid) you want to add to the edge of your crust.
13/19Brush the edges of the chilled bottom crust lightly with egg wash.
14/19Lay one braid around the edge of the crust, pressing gently to adhere.
15/19Use your fingers to connect the loose ends of each braid together.
16/19Then cover the next section of the crust with the second braid, pressing gently to adhere.
17/19When you reach the edge of the first braid, use scissors to trim the edges to fit together neatly. This is easier than it sounds. You'll see how each strand wants to fit together.
Alex Lau18/19Place the crust back into the freezer before blind-baking, per the recipe. Freezing the dough allows the butter melts slowly in the oven—which helps the crust hold its shape. Brush the blind-baked crust with egg wash after you remove your pie weights or beans for a presentation-worthy sheen.
Gentl & Hyers19/19Et Voilà!
