How to Fix 7 Common Pie Mistakes, According to Baking Pros

The Mistake: Dough that Is Too Wet or Too Dry

The Fix: In a sticky situation, flour is your friend, says Stacey Mei Yan Fong, author of 50 Pies, 50 States. “If you’re working with a wet crust, don’t be shy with the all-purpose flour on your work surface and rolling pin.” As you roll, rotate the dough to ensure it’s not sticking to the counter, and add a puff of flour between rotations as needed. “Dust off excess flour before placing the crust in your pie pan,” she adds.

If your dough seems dry and is still in the mixing bowl, Fong recommends pushing the wetter parts to one side of the bowl, adding a bit of water to the dry parts, then mixing it all together. “If cracks develop as you roll, it’s fine to simply pinch the dough back together.”

The Mistake: Watery Fruit Filling

The Fix: Pre-cooking your fruit filling will help it thicken for that picture-worthy slice, says Maya-Camille Broussard, author of Justice of the Pies, which features more than 85 sweet and savory recipes. “I love caramelized apples in my pie,” she says, “so I coat the apples in sugar, flour, and spices and cook them in a large skillet with melted butter until they’re softened before assembling and baking the pie.” This step helps reduce some of the juice, so the filling is less liquidy.

When dealing with juicier fruit—like cranberries and other berries—Broussard relies on an old standby to thicken things up: cornstarch. She simmers the fruit in a saucepan until it’s nice and saucy. Then she removes a tablespoon or two of juice and places it in a separate bowl, where she makes a slurry by whisking in an equal amount of cornstarch. “I then pour the slurry back into the filling over the heat and stir until it thickens,” she says.

The Mistake: Gummy Bottom Crusts

The Fix: The prospect of a soggy bottom haunts every baker. A secret ingredient called “crust dust” can keep it at bay, says Fong. “Before adding the filling, sprinkle the surface of the crust with a teaspoon each of sugar and flour. Or try panko,” she says. This creates a thin barrier that protects your crust from the wet filling without impacting flavor.

Using the right pie pan can also help. While she still bakes in ceramic sometimes, Erin Jeanne McDowell, author ofThe Book on Pie and Savory Baking, says that metal is her favorite for even baking. “Plus, it’s the most nonstick, which makes the pie easier to slice.” She suggests skipping glass. “I find people have the most crust problems using that type of pie pan.”

The Mistake: Cracked Custards

The Fix: Custard pies, like pumpkin and sweet potato, can be finicky, but cracks are avoidable. Fong recommends baking pumpkin pies at 325°F, which is cooler than some recipes suggest (so you’ll need to add a few minutes to the baking time—likely 5 to 10, but keep an eye on it). “This helps the crust cook through and keeps the custard from cooking too fast and cracking,” she says. Remove the pie from the oven when the center “jiggles like a soft thigh,” Fong says. It will continue cooking out of the oven.

The Mistake: Crusts that Slump and Shrink

The Fix: One key to preventing pie slouching is proper chilling before baking, McDowell says. “Refrigerate your filled pie—or just the pie shell if you’re parbaking (partially baking) or blind baking (fully baking) the crust before filling—for at least 30 minutes and ideally up to an hour before baking.” The reasoning behind this: Chilled butter won’t immediately melt in the oven, giving the crust a chance to preserve its shape.

Another key is adding enough filling. “If the sides aren’t well supported in the oven, the crust often slides down. This means filling the pie all the way to the top with pie weights when you’re par- or blind baking, and choosing the right pie pan for the amount of filling.” In other words, don’t make a standard-size pie in a deep-dish pan.

The Mistake: The Edges Burn Before the Filling is Ready

The Fix: To give your crust a golden glow without charred edges, watch the pie as it bakes, Broussard says. “When the edges start to darken, gently cover them with aluminum foil and continue baking until the pie is done.” McDowell suggests prepping the foil strips before assembling the pie. “Then, when you need the foil, it’s already in the proper shape, and you’re not messing with shaping it while adding it to a hot pie.” Watching a top crust brown way too quickly? Loosely tent the whole pie with foil.

The Mistake: Dry Pie

The Fix: If your fruit filling comes out drier than you’d like, drizzle each slice of pie with caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, or maple syrup. And don’t forget that any slice of pie is improved by a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.