Easy As Pie Crust: How to Make a Simple and Elegant Slit Top Crust
It takes nothing more than a sharp paring knife and a fork to create this simple and elegant crust—it's perfect for pie beginners and pros alike. Senior food editor Alison Roman explains how it's done.
Christopher Testani1/7Roman likes this slitted venting technique for blueberry pie because it keeps the super-juicy fruit from bubbling over too much as the pie bakes.
Christopher Testani2/7Start with chilled dough from our Flakiest Pie Crust recipe. Roll out the dough into two 13" rounds and stack them on sheets of parchment paper—it makes them easier to transfer into the pie plate.
Christopher Testani3/7Trim any excess dough with a knife or kitchen shears. "You don't really want any excess dough since you're crimping the two pieces together," Roman says. Leave no more than a quarter-inch overhang.
Christopher Testani4/7Use the back of a fork to press down firmly and crimp the top and bottom crusts together. Roman says to crimp only around the lip of the pie dish—move any further into the pie and you risk tearing or puncturing the dough.
Christopher Testani5/7Use a sharp paring knife to make several slits down the center of the pie. Make sure you cut all the way through the dough—you're looking to fully puncture it, not score it. If the slits aren't deep enough, they'll close up as the crust puffs during the baking process.
Christopher Testani6/7Your final product might not look like a Twin Peaks diner slice, and that's a good thing. The filling will spill out, bits of crust will collapse, and it's only natural for the fruit to shrink as it bakes, leaving a little gap beneath the top crust. And you know what? It'll be delicious beyond your wildest dreams.
Christopher Testani7/7Because at the end of the day, it's still pie.
Get the recipe: Blueberry-Ginger Double Crust Pie
