Advice on how to get my crust more crispy and brown?
I'm using a recipe that is half butter half shortening. Baking at 400 for 20 minutes and then 375 for another 35-40. I'd like my crust to be a little more brown and slightly crispier, particularly the lattice part. Any tips?
by cutewhenmute
30 Comments
Western_Emergency222
Try an egg wash and leave it in a bit longer.
HatGold1057
Supposedly sugar + water gives a better crust than egg wash. Haven’t tried it myself though.
HeraldofItoriel
I was going to say turn the broiler on or try a little butter. If you turn the broiler on, watch it LIKE A HAWK.
FluffySpaceWaffle
Wrap the edge in aluminum foil. Then watch it very carefully for a few extra minutes
If you have a convection setting on your oven this is a perfect time to use it. It’ll help the crust brown more thoroughly and evenly and help it get nice and puffy. It couldn’t hurt to check the accuracy of your oven temp. Adding 25 degrees to your initial bake temp won’t hurt it either tray baking at 425 for 30 minutes to start especially if it’s a really juicy filling.
twattytwatwaffle
Egg wash of egg + heavy cream and bake for longer. You can tent the edges with tin foil if they get too dark.
Sparsewords
So I have come to covering the first 30, then uncovering. I wash with a spray of water and a brush of sugar when it’s appropriate. Some don’t do well with sugar and I use an egg wash- but the spray bottle has changed my life both ways.
hannabanan666
An egg wash before baking but also during the baking process you should put some aluminum foil folded over on top so it’s not touching but able to vent out might crips it up a bit more and make it golden 🤗
Go_Plate_326
Just bake it longer. Looks like you’ve got a well-made crust but it’s underbaked, that pie can handle 80-90 minutes in the oven easy. Fiddling with the temps/times may get you there – try blasting it at 450 for 15 minutes, then 350 for like 75
huffmanm16
Do you have a convection setting on your oven? I’d turn the temp down 15-20% and turn the convection fan on. Sometimes I just turn the fan on and off without changing the temperature and keep an eye on it.
Ginoblee
Can’t link a pic but I made an apple pie the other day and I start at 400 for 20 mins then finish at 375 for 35-40 mins. Along with egg wash of course and it makes a great golden brown crust
Neat-Albatross-4679
I brush with milk
Eagles365or366
Egg wash, and a quick broiler turn at the last minute. May be a minute or two. But stay attentive, it can burn quick.
mperseids
I like using just egg yolk and milk so it’s fattier. Egg whites are very watery. This still looks great by the way!
stripedmacaron
egg wash and granulated sugar
Far_Seaworthiness765
It needs a few more minutes in the oven
CandyHeartFarts
What is your crust recipe? Could be why it’s not browning .
ChefGrannyLou
Here are some ingredients you can use to top your pie crust:
1. Egg wash: A thin egg wash made by whisking an egg with a tablespoon of water can make the top of your pie crust shiny.
2. Sugar: A sprinkle of sugar can add flavor and texture to your pie crust. You can also try a 50/50 mix of demerara and granulated sugar, known as “sugar-sugar”, which sticks to the dough after an egg wash and adds crunch and sweetness.
3. Melted butter: Melted butter can add flavor, but it can leave a speckled appearance on the crust. If you plan to sprinkle the crust with sugar, the sugar will hide the speckles.
4. Milk or cream: You can brush a lattice top with milk or cream to help it brown.
5. Sanding or turbinado sugar: Sprinkling sanding or turbinado sugar on a lattice top adds crunch and sparkle.
6. Vanilla and bourbon: You can brush the bottom and inside edges of a store-bought crust with a mixture of melted butter, vanilla, and bourbon before baking.
Bake-258
Bleached flour and flour with a protein content of 10% or lower will bake up much lighter than unbleached, flour and flour with a protein content of 11% or higher. Flour with some added malted barely will bake darker.
Usually a wash is applied for color and shine.
Whole Egg: adds deep golden color and some shine. I use on more rustic tarts and meat handpies. Apply evenly as whole egg will get burn if puddled.
Whole Egg & Water: a lighter golden brown witha bit more shine than whole egg.
Whole Egg & Cream: one of the more common combinations used by pastry chef since cream is in so many pastries. Nice golden brown and shine.
Whole Egg & Milk: medium golden brown color shine. Not one I care for much
Whole Egg & Sugar: will quickly burn because of the sugar burn. if I want to use sugar, I’ll apply the whole egg wash. Then sprinkle a sanding sugar over the crust instead of mixing the sugar in with the egg wash.
Egg White & Sugar: as with whole egg and sugar, I applied this sugar separately rather than mix it in to the wash.
Egg Yolk & Cream: good shine, but can burn. for washes that burn quickly I prefer to use them on individual size pies, or hand pies since they don’t bake as long as a standard pie.
Egg Yolk & Milk or Water: meh. Just not a fan.
Egg White: a bit difficult to apply since it’s not mixed with a liquid. You need to whip the egg whites a bit with a fork before applying. Once applied, it does give beautiful shine. It’s great for sealing a blind bake crust.
Egg White & Cream: beautiful, rich color and shine.
Egg White & Water or Milk: use just a tad bit liquid to loosen up the egg white. Too much liquid will dilute egg whites shine. Egg white & a tad bit of liquid works much better to seal pie dough than plain water.
Formal_Lie_713
Based on the picture I’d say roll it thinner and bake it longer.
katdeb
Invest in a crust protector. It’s a silicone ring that sits around the edge so you can get the middle nice and brown. You can also use foil but I find that too fiddly.
AcanthocephalaNo7806
You can do an egg wash with egg and heavy cream or just straight up heavy cream will help you get some nice color. Heavy cream works great on top of scones and cinnamon rolls too 🙂
Milkicat
I like to use egg wash and heavy cream, turn on the broiler and keep a hawk eye on it
Mewcrury
eggwash, cover the crust for most the cooking time, move the pie to the top baking rack, and then uncover it until its the color you want
Longjumping-Ant-77
Mine get too brown! can we swap?!
Hatty_Girl
Egg yolk…mine comes out beautifully shellaced.
Swiminwatermelons
Looks like maybe the crust was a tad to moist. Less cold water initially.
Letsbeclear1987
Foil crown for the brim at this stage and back in for a few more minutes. You could optionally add sanding sugar for a little caramelizing or put it under the grill/broiler for like 1 minute. Dont take your eyes off it
30 Comments
Try an egg wash and leave it in a bit longer.
Supposedly sugar + water gives a better crust than egg wash. Haven’t tried it myself though.
I was going to say turn the broiler on or try a little butter. If you turn the broiler on, watch it LIKE A HAWK.
Wrap the edge in aluminum foil. Then watch it very carefully for a few extra minutes
Or something like this:
https://a.co/d/aH7YffJ
Gas oven?
Egg wash with cream and sanding sugar.
If you have a convection setting on your oven this is a perfect time to use it. It’ll help the crust brown more thoroughly and evenly and help it get nice and puffy.
It couldn’t hurt to check the accuracy of your oven temp.
Adding 25 degrees to your initial bake temp won’t hurt it either tray baking at 425 for 30 minutes to start especially if it’s a really juicy filling.
Egg wash of egg + heavy cream and bake for longer. You can tent the edges with tin foil if they get too dark.
So I have come to covering the first 30, then uncovering. I wash with a spray of water and a brush of sugar when it’s appropriate. Some don’t do well with sugar and I use an egg wash- but the spray bottle has changed my life both ways.
An egg wash before baking but also during the baking process you should put some aluminum foil folded over on top so it’s not touching but able to vent out might crips it up a bit more and make it golden 🤗
Just bake it longer. Looks like you’ve got a well-made crust but it’s underbaked, that pie can handle 80-90 minutes in the oven easy. Fiddling with the temps/times may get you there – try blasting it at 450 for 15 minutes, then 350 for like 75
Do you have a convection setting on your oven? I’d turn the temp down 15-20% and turn the convection fan on. Sometimes I just turn the fan on and off without changing the temperature and keep an eye on it.
Can’t link a pic but I made an apple pie the other day and I start at 400 for 20 mins then finish at 375 for 35-40 mins. Along with egg wash of course and it makes a great golden brown crust
I brush with milk
Egg wash, and a quick broiler turn at the last minute. May be a minute or two. But stay attentive, it can burn quick.
I like using just egg yolk and milk so it’s fattier. Egg whites are very watery.
This still looks great by the way!
egg wash and granulated sugar
It needs a few more minutes in the oven
What is your crust recipe? Could be why it’s not browning .
Here are some ingredients you can use to top your pie crust:
1. Egg wash: A thin egg wash made by whisking an egg with a tablespoon of water can make the top of your pie crust shiny.
2. Sugar: A sprinkle of sugar can add flavor and texture to your pie crust. You can also try a 50/50 mix of demerara and granulated sugar, known as “sugar-sugar”, which sticks to the dough after an egg wash and adds crunch and sweetness.
3. Melted butter: Melted butter can add flavor, but it can leave a speckled appearance on the crust. If you plan to sprinkle the crust with sugar, the sugar will hide the speckles.
4. Milk or cream: You can brush a lattice top with milk or cream to help it brown.
5. Sanding or turbinado sugar: Sprinkling sanding or turbinado sugar on a lattice top adds crunch and sparkle.
6. Vanilla and bourbon: You can brush the bottom and inside edges of a store-bought crust with a mixture of melted butter, vanilla, and bourbon before baking.
Bleached flour and flour with a protein content of 10% or lower will bake up much lighter than unbleached, flour and flour with a protein content of 11% or higher. Flour with some added malted barely will bake darker.
Usually a wash is applied for color and shine.
Whole Egg: adds deep golden color and some shine. I use on more rustic tarts and meat handpies. Apply evenly as whole egg will get burn if puddled.
Whole Egg & Water: a lighter golden brown witha bit more shine than whole egg.
Whole Egg & Cream: one of the more common combinations used by pastry chef since cream is in so many pastries. Nice golden brown and shine.
Whole Egg & Milk: medium golden brown color shine. Not one I care for much
Whole Egg & Sugar: will quickly burn because of the sugar burn. if I want to use sugar, I’ll apply the whole egg wash. Then sprinkle a sanding sugar over the crust instead of mixing the sugar in with the egg wash.
Egg White & Sugar: as with whole egg and sugar, I applied this sugar separately rather than mix it in to the wash.
Egg Yolk & Cream: good shine, but can burn. for washes that burn quickly I prefer to use them on individual size pies, or hand pies since they don’t bake as long as a standard pie.
Egg Yolk & Milk or Water: meh. Just not a fan.
Egg White: a bit difficult to apply since it’s not mixed with a liquid. You need to whip the egg whites a bit with a fork before applying. Once applied, it does give beautiful shine. It’s great for sealing a blind bake crust.
Egg White & Cream: beautiful, rich color and shine.
Egg White & Water or Milk: use just a tad bit liquid to loosen up the egg white. Too much liquid will dilute egg whites shine. Egg white & a tad bit of liquid works much better to seal pie dough than plain water.
Based on the picture I’d say roll it thinner and bake it longer.
Invest in a crust protector. It’s a silicone ring that sits around the edge so you can get the middle nice and brown. You can also use foil but I find that too fiddly.
You can do an egg wash with egg and heavy cream or just straight up heavy cream will help you get some nice color. Heavy cream works great on top of scones and cinnamon rolls too 🙂
I like to use egg wash and heavy cream, turn on the broiler and keep a hawk eye on it
eggwash, cover the crust for most the cooking time, move the pie to the top baking rack, and then uncover it until its the color you want
Mine get too brown! can we swap?!
Egg yolk…mine comes out beautifully shellaced.
Looks like maybe the crust was a tad to moist. Less cold water initially.
Foil crown for the brim at this stage and back in for a few more minutes. You could optionally add sanding sugar for a little caramelizing or put it under the grill/broiler for like 1 minute. Dont take your eyes off it