1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius). Grease a nine-inch (20-centimeter) deep-dish pie plate.
2. Remove one disc of dough from refrigerator. While it’s still in the ziplock bag, roll out dough to a 12-inch (30-centimeter) circle. Cut open the sides of the bag, and transfer dough to the prepared pie plate. Trim edges of dough.
3. Loosely lay a sheet of aluminum foil on top of the dough and place beans on the foil. Bake on bottom rack of oven for 10 minutes (this is known as “blind baking”).
4. Meanwhile, remove the second disc of dough from the refrigerator, and again, in the bag, roll it out into a 12-inch (30-centimeter) circle. Cut open sides of bag, then cut some circles (or slits, or any other shape) in the dough. This is important, as it allows the steam to vent while baking and prevents a soggy, runny pie.
5. Remove pie dish from the oven and lower oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
6. Remove the beans, and fill pie crust with the fruit filling. Brush edges of the pie with egg wash and top with the second piece of dough. Pinch edges together with fingers or tines of a fork. Brush the entire pie with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
7. Bake for 45–50 minutes. Keep an eye on the pie to make sure the crust does not burn. If the edge is getting too dark, wrap it with aluminum foil so it doesn’t burn.
Tips:
All ingredients must be very cold. Keep the margarine and shortening refrigerated until ready to use, and put ice cubes in the water.
Keep dough refrigerated until ready to bake.
Do not over-handle your dough; and when rolling it out, try to use as little flour as possible, if any at all.
To prevent a runny or soggy pie:
– Blind bake your bottom crust.
– Make sure to include a starch in your filling, and let excess liquid drain before filling your pie crust.
– Make holes or slits in your top crust to allow steam to vent. Alternatively, make a lattice-topped pie.
– Allow pie to cool few a few hours, or even overnight, before serving.
You may want to see our article How to Tell If Your Pie is Done Without Slicing Into It for more tips.
Variations:
Any combination of fruits can make a delicious pie! Here are a few ideas to get you started: apple/pear, mixed berries, apple/cranberry, apricot/plum, strawberry/rhubarb.
freezing Can i freeze fruit pies?
yes
Can I freeze fruit pies?
Yes 🙂