Problem #2--I have made 3 Savory Summer Pies from SL and am having trouble with the crust.

W

wigs

Well-known member
1) First time I did NOT prick the crust as the recipe stated and the sides of my quiche (I used the 2-inch deep, fluted tin quiche pan recommended) slid down even though I blind baked it using non-stick foil and metal pie weights.

2) Next time I did prick the crust as directed before blind baking with the foil & pie weights, but then the custard leaked. (Thanks goodness I had used an underliner baking sheet and also put a parchment round underneath or I never would have been able to unmold it.)

3) I am now ready to try brushing the crust with egg white before blind baking, BUT should I prick the crust first before brushing on the egg white or not? I've never brushed any crust with egg whites before so am not sure which way to go, but it sounds like this might help seal my crust to avoid the leaking of the quiche custard.

Or maybe I should prick only the sides but not the bottom before brushing w/ egg whites & blind baking. Or how about pricking the sides only and NOT using the egg whites before blind baking?

Any suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated. TIA, Caryn aka Wigs

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Savory-Summer-Pie/Detail.aspx

 
I've never pricked the pie crust, so I'm not sure what to tell you. Maybe your dough is

too greasy, if it keeps sliding down the sides. That's all I can think of. Did it call for blind baking? When I've made quiche, I never prebake it and it comes out okay. Good luck and let us know!

 
Even though I haven't perfected pie crusts I can tell you this

Marilyn had posted some tips above in my quest for the perfect crust and they are what we learned in culinary school wit maybe a few more:

Chill dough before rolling
Be sure to LAY the dough down into the pie plate rather than stretching it into place (this causes shrinkage like it pulling down the sides that you described)
Chill after putting into pie plate

I wouldn't dock it for this type of pie
Use a whole egg beaten to seal the crust when prebaking.
Put some of the cheese in the bottom - it will also help seal it
And as Marilyn and I found out on the tomato pie she was doing last year, kind of watch your tomatoes - if they are watery, you might want to drain them a little before adding cause as they cook all that water comes out.

 
Here is what I would do

Pricking the crust assures that it won't bubble up. Yes, for sure roll it out and lay the crust in the pan instead of stretching it. Yes, for sure have it refrigerated before baking. I would prick it but not put any pie weights in it. I would also use an egg wash before pre-baking the crust (made from a whole egg as Missy says) and I would put some grated cheese mixed with some bread crumbs on the bottom before pouring the wet mixture in.

 
If it's shrinking own, it's because it was stretched putting it into the pan....

I always gently put it in the pan then sort of push it down the sides and toward the center a bit. The fold under about 1/2" all around the rim and pinch it into the usual crust edge design.

It can also happen if you have over-worked the crust and don't have the pockets of butter/shortening - if the fat breaks up too much, then it melts too fast.

You might try spraying the bottom of a matching pie plate and setting it inside your crust, on your layer of pie weights.

 
Yes, the recipe says to price the crust and then blind bake for 10 min which I did &

that was the time it leaked. Thank goodness I had used a parchment circle under the crust and also set the quiche on a baking sheet after filling to bake!

 
Thanks a ton for all your tips and suggestions! Am also headed up 2 read the recent pie crust thread

and will let U all know how my future endeavors w/ this particular quiche recipe turn out.

PS to DawnNYS: On most of my other quiche recipes I don't prebake the crusts either since they don't call for doing it. I blind baked the crust on this one because that is what the recipe said to do--I assumed it was because this quiche was deeper and with more filling than would ever fit into a regular 9-inch pie plate. I noticed on some of the reviews that cooks were making 2 smaller quiches out of a single recipe of filling as they didn't have the 2-inch deep, fluted quiche pan w/ removable bottom. There is always a new challenge in the cooking department around here!

 
Another cause of shrinking ...

is not FILLING the pie shell with weights/beans/whatever. Sometimes people think that puny string of "pie weight" beads is enough. YOu have to fill the foil/parchment with beans or other weights right to the rim to hold the sides in place. Crimping along the rim also helps secure the sides so they don't slide down in the baking.

Also, an all-butter dough will tend to shrink, whereas doughs higher in shortening retain their shape more, given the way the two fats melt.

 
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