How to Keep Pie Crust From Sticking to the Pan

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You may not think about it at first, but trying to make a pie from scratch is much easier said than done. There’s a good reason why many people choose to rely on store-bought pies.

However, there is no denying that there is something special about homemade desserts, especially ones like pie. If you want to learn how to make a good pie, you are going to want to make sure that you are prepared for just about any situation that could happen.

This includes making sure you know what ingredients to use, how to prepare the crust and the pie pan, and the best ways to deal with common mistakes that beginner pie-makers make. This will help you be as prepared as possible for anything that can go wrong.

When it comes to baking, the beginning of your journey will always be fraught with mistakes and being prepared for those is one of the best things that you can do for yourself.

One of the most common mistakes that people who are new to baking pies come across is when the pie crust sticks to the pan. This is something that nobody wants to have happen, as it can end up destroying the pie and its appearance.

To make sure that this happens as little as possible, you will want to first learn what causes this issue. Once you know what you are dealing with, you can begin thinking of ways to work around it.

Why Does It Happen?

There are a few different reasons why your pie crust might be sticking to your pan. For one, if you don’t apply non-stick spray to the pan, then there’s a very good chance that it will end up sticking.

Another cause of this happening is when there is a crack in the pie crust and the filling leaks out, baking between the crust and the pan. Both of these causes are easy to remedy on their own, it is simply a matter of knowing what exactly is going on.

If you want to be certain about what is happening to your pie crust, there are a few areas you will want to pay attention to. You should try and look at where your pie crust is sticking, as this will give you a good idea on whether or not the stickiness is localized to one location or if the entire crust is trying to stay with the pan.

If you notice that the crust is trying to stick to the pan everywhere, then there’s a good chance that the pie crust is sticking because non-stick spray was not applied. In a pinch, you can also use other ingredients to act as a non-stick grease layer, such as butter.

If you notice that the pie is only sticking in one area and that one area seems to have some of the fruit filling leaking out, then you can rest assured knowing that it is simply the leaked fruit sticking to the pan.

Fixing the Problem at Hand

To make sure that this doesn’t happen again, you are going to want to pay attention to how you prepare your pie to cook in the oven. You should take care to grease any pans you are using that are not specifically non-stick pans, or else you run the risk of having things stick and nobody wants this to happen.

You can use butter, non-stick sprays, and other ingredients to ensure that nothing will want to adhere to the pan when you are finished baking your pie.

If you are using a heavier pie filling or filling the pie up as much as it will go, you may want to think about making a thicker pie crust, or one that is a little bit more stable than the one you are currently using.

Trying to figure out why your pie crust is cracking and leaking at the bottom can be difficult at first, but once you know the reasoning, it will be a simple change to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.

By doing both of these things, you can feel comfortable knowing that you are doing everything that you can to keep your pie from sticking to the pan. There are some occasions, especially with baking, where your pie and pie crust simply aren’t going to behave the way you want them to.

Even if you do everything right, you should still have a good idea of what you should do if the pie crust still sticks to the pan when you are ready to take the pie out.

Resolving the Issue

Of course, there is always the option of trying to slowly, carefully scrape the pie crust off of the pan and hope for the best. However, depending on the situation and the nature of the crust, this can end up having catastrophic results for your pie.

Instead, you should think of some other things that you can do to help your pie crust not stick to your pan so that you can take it out of its dish more easily.

One of the most effective things you can do is submerge the bottom of your pie plate into some hot water for around 10 to 20 seconds.

Doing this helps to re-melt any solidified butter, greasing up the pan again, and releasing the crust from sticking to the pan. For most people, this is a cure-all solution for a pie that wants to stick to the bottom of the pan.

You should do this right before serving the pie for the best effect, as this will not only keep the pie warm, but if it has cooled down some between the time you took it out of the oven and serving time, then there will be more butter to melt.

This increases the chances that the newly melted butter will release the crust from the pan, making it easier for you to serve the pie to a table of hungry people. Before you know it, you will be able to get your pie out of just about any sticky situation.

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