Strange pie situation

I made this pie today. https://food52.com/recipes...
I followed the recipe exactly. All went fine except that the center of my pie crust rose up during cooking and is actually poking up through the filling. It's still intact- it's as though the bottom crust is shaped like a tube pan If that makes any sense. I've made a lot of pies and never had this happen. Does anyone have experience with a problem like this? Or thoughts on how I might avoid it in the future? Thanks all! (The pie is delicious btw, although the filling is a bit soft/runny)

Megan
  • Posted by: Megan
  • March 20, 2016
  • 10454 views
  • 8 Comments

8 Comments

amysarah
amysarah March 21, 2016
Sounds like a big old air bubble. Maybe you invented the next Cronut: the Pienut, a cross between an oversized donut and a pie!

Even when not directed to, I usually lightly pre-bake pie crusts before filling - using pie weights/beans instead of docking for a liquid filling. Prevents both bubbling and a soggy bottom crust. If the edges start to brown too much on the final bake, just cover them with foil - or I use the inverted ring of a metal tart pan - its 'lip' is just the right size to cover the pie crust edge.
 
Megan
Megan March 21, 2016
Thanks amysarah! It actually is pretty cool looking...:)
 
Picholine
Picholine March 21, 2016
I'm sure you did this but the crust must be ice cold when placed in the oven and evenly rolled out. Oven at exact temp.
 
Megan
Megan March 21, 2016
Yes- in fact I found it to be one of my best crusts in terms of even rolling, etc. As per the instructions I chilled the dough for 30 min, rolled it out and placed in pan, then chilled another 30, then poured in the filling and baked. So it wasn't ice cold but it was chilled.
 
Smaug
Smaug March 21, 2016
I don't know so much about that- I never chill filled crusts, and seldom blind ones, before baking and have never had a problem, certainly not this one. I don't get them warm when I'm making them, either, though.
 
Megan
Megan March 21, 2016
Thanks Smaug & Abbie. I guess an air bubble would explain it! It was just so much larger than any air bubble I've ever seen. Plus I've never had an air bubble problems when I'm baking a filled pie. I'm not sure docking the crust would be a good idea with this pie since the filling is so liquid-y. I guess I just need to be more careful about laying the crust into the pan.
 
aargersi
aargersi March 20, 2016
Yeah what Smaug said - I would say dock the bottom crust before baking but then it would maybe stick - I bet there was a wee air bubble under the crust that expanded during baking ...
 
Smaug
Smaug March 20, 2016
You get that sort of thing a lot baking crusts blind, but yours sounds pretty extreme. Probably a large air bubble trapped underneath the crust.
 
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