What Does Poking Holes In The Bottom Of Pie Crust Actually Do? - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

What Does Poking Holes In The Bottom Of Pie Crust Actually Do? - Tasting Table? ›

Poking holes allows steam to escape

To "dock" a pastry means to prick a pie crust with a fork before baking. This technique is a simple way to poke holes in the pastry dough. This allows the steam to escape so that the pie crust doesn't puff up in the oven. Usually, this technique is used when blind baking a pie crust before filling.

With docking, the holes allow steam to escape, so the crust should stay flat against the baking dish when it isn't held down by pie weights or a filling. Otherwise the crust can puff up, not only impacting appearance but also leaving you with less space for whatever filling you have planned.

Pricking holes in the rolled-out pie dough allows the steam to escape while it's baking. Without this, the steam would puff up in bubbles and pockets throughout the crust, which would make some parts of the crust cook too quickly and also result in an uneven surface for your filling. Docking is simple.

Docking essentially means using a fork to poke holes all over the dough, making sure to get the sides/walls of the pie dough, too. These holes allow steam to escape during baking, so it doesn't get trapped under the dough and send your pie crust bubbling.

After dough has rested, crimp the edges of the dough, and prick the bottom and the sides of your pie shell at least 15 times. Line a piece of aluminum foil around your crust and fill with pie weights. Place your pie crust on the pre-heated sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes.

But don't dock it (docking is aerating the crust before baking by poking it with the tines of a fork). This will cause the custard to seep out into the bottom crust, defeating that whole "flaky" thing you were going for. The test kitchen's vessel of choice for pie is a 9" glass Pyrex pan.

If you're making apple pie or any other type of pie, you should prebake the crust if you want your end result to be flaky. Otherwise, your pie crust could wind up underdone and soggy.

An egg wash is not necessary when blind baking, though if you want to add some shine to the edges of the pie, you can brush the crust with egg wash after removing the pie weights and before returning the pie to the oven to finish baking.

Preventing "Pie Gap"

Without pie vents, the apples shrink, but the crust retains its original shape, producing a wide gap filled with air between the crust and the filling. The top crust collapses when you cut into the pie. Venting lets the crust settle as the apples shrink, preventing "pie gap."

What is a pie pan with holes in the bottom used for? ›

Hi, there are a few key benefits. The main is that metal allows us to add holes (perforation) this increases heat flow leading to the crispiest crusts. The other notable benefits are that it is truly non-stick and dishwasher safe.

Poking holes allows steam to escape

Air bubbles can also lead to cracks, and cracks inevitably lead to leaks. Therefore, for a level, leak-proof crust, a perforated crust is key. If, however, the recipe you're working with has a particularly liquidy filling, poking the bottom isn't a necessary step.

Blind Baked pie crusts: Blind baked pie crusts are a fully baked crust and are used for recipes which have a no-bake pie filling, such as a lemon meringue pie, chocolate cream pie, banoffee pie, or a french silk pie. You want to fully bake the crust, as it will not get another chance to crisp up.

Always cut a small air vent in the pastry lid before cooking to allow steam to escape and stop leakage. You could use a special pie funnel if you have one.

A couple of pats of butter on top of the fruit, and a slit in the crust help to let the air escape and keep pie from running over. Foil around the edge of the crust will help keep it from over-browning. And remember to preheat your oven.

Strategically poking holes in the dough creates little openings that permit air to escape while your pizza is baking. This prevents an undesirable puffing of the pizza dough, avoiding unwanted bubbles and preserving a superior texture for your final product.