Novice mistake: how do I dry out a soggy crust?

p.s. Sorry, meant to add: so you cut off the top crust, sprinkle on the crumb topping, then put the pie under the broiler in your oven to brown the topping. Keep the oven door slightly open and watch constantly. Once your broiler is hot, it should only take a few minutes.

Hard to fix a soggy crust. One idea for saving your pie is to discard the top crust and replace it with a light crumb topping. You don't want a thick topping, as the rest of the pie has already spent time in the oven and you don't want to over-cook it.

I don't think there is much you can do to restore the crust at this point, although it won't hurt to try. Perhaps set the pie pan on a pizza stone to maximize the heat at the bottom and see if that does anything. I don't have much hope. Did you blind bake the crust before you added the filling? That is one way to avoid soggy bottoms. Also, rather than break the egg directly into the pie crust, I would break it into a bowl, mix it up and then apply to crust with a pastry brush.

Unfortunately you may have to start over on the pie. The moisture will evaporate from the top of the pie and overcook the top crust and you'll get a crumbly, overdone texture on top. Next time, make sure it completely cools before cutting into it or storing it.

Another trick that you may want to try that I have used with great success: Crack an egg directly in your pie crust, , prior to adding the filling. Swirl it around until the bottom is coated and tip the remainder into a bowl. Then add your filling to the shell. This egg coating acts as a barrier to prevent your filling from getting the bottom soggy. Use the remaining egg as a wash for the top crust. Hope that helps!