https://alexandracooks.com/2019/11/14/2-tips-for-no-shrink-pie-crust-pie-crust-cookies/ Alexandra has a genius tip and video for making pie crust that doesn’t shrink.
The main reason why most crusts shrink has to do with gluten development in the dough. This may happen if the dough is overworked during the mixing, gets stretched out in the rolling and transfer to the plate, or the dough gets stretched out to fit snugly into the plate. The easiest way to combat these problems is to let the dough rest. After you mix the dough, pat it into a disc, wrap it in plastic, and chill it out in the fridge for at least an hour or two. This not only gets the fat firmed up so you end up with flaky, tender crust- but it lets the gluten strands relax. That makes rolling out easier, and you are less likely to stretch in out rolling to proper size. Gently transfer it to the plate, letting it kind of droop into it loosely. Don't ever tug on it to get it to fit. If you droop in short on one side, fold the dough in half, and then try to reposition it so it fits better. Cut it a bit larger than the edge and shape the rim as you like. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Then cover it with plastic, and give it a chill in the fridge again. If you can spare the time, freeze it. Then of course, bake it blind with weights. My favorite way is to stack a second pie plate inside the first, which gives you a nice firm cover all over- but regular weights work fine. Bake it until it begins to firm up, and then remove your weights or second plate. If you want to have it completely baked, keep baking until done. Despite all this, your blind baked crust is simply going to shrink a little bit. That's why you need to start with the crust a bit larger or higher than your rim. Hopefully, it won't shrink past the rim, and if it happens to shrink less, you've just got a little more edge crust to nibble. The biggest key factor is to give the crust time to rest, and if you have the time- freeze it and bake it from the frozen state.
Thanks, Lori T. You and Boulanger (below) both suggested overworking is a main culprit, but your comments about rolling makes sense, too. I’m sure the thickness of my crust is not uniform. I noticed that shrinking is worse where the crust is thinner. I need to be more careful when rolling. Over-rolling and overworking... recipe for problems!
It is likely that your crust isn't sliding as much as it is shrinking. And it's shrinking because the dough has been overworked. Overworking pastry dough over-develops the gluten (protein) in the flour. When it has been overdeveloped, it tenses up in the heat of the oven: hence the incredible shrinking pie crust.
Overworking dough is a common mistake. It's sort of like people who are afraid of undercooking fish, so they overcook it just to be sure. Some bakers tend to fear crumbly dough that falls apart when attempting to roll it, that they over-hydrate and over-mix it. Adding too much water has the same effect as over-mixing: too much water encourages too much gluten development (gluten forms in the presence of water and agitation - i.e. mixing and kneading). The two together are deadly. In an a manner of speaking.
Fortunately, the fix is pretty simple. Use cold butter, straight out of the refrigerator. Put some ice cubes and water in something you can pour from, and pour icy cold water into your measuring cup JUST before you add it to your dough. I wrote a post about flaky pastry and how to achieve it in your own kitchen here. It routinely begins getting lots and lots of views around this time of year. Persevere!
Thank you, Boulanger. I think overworking it is a factor. When I leave it crumbly, I feel it will never come together, so I add more water. I can get away with it (maybe) when it’s a filled pie, but blind baked exposes its flaws. I actually use butter straight from the freezer. Do you think that’s a factor? Does frozen butter retain water/ice crystals?
That's a great question, Pam. I have a feeling that frozen butter may be contributing to your issues. Butter consists of 80% fat, 18% water, and 2% milk solids. It sounds counterintuitive, but by using frozen butter, you're likely having to work it quite a bit more than merely cold butter, thereby liberating more water into the dough. The objective is to work the butter only until it is the size of chickpeas so that when the cold water is added and the dough becomes more dense, the butter will break down to just the right point. And then you stop. As I explain in my post, refrigerating the dough for 30 minutes before rolling allows the gluten to cease forming any further.
As for rolling to a uniform thickness, when I was in culinary school, we used what were called spacer bars. They were made of aluminum, and came in various thicknesses for use with a variety of doughs from shortbread to pie dough (https://www.culinarydepotinc.com/matfer-bourgeat-140204-confectionery-ruler-set-set?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=%7BSmart200+Shop%7D&gclid=Cj0KCQiAk7TuBRDQARIsAMRrfUaXWeVI8AvfhMuM7Kt4zVg3xRVBvDWHsOBZf1UqI52s2lSyc5KAbm0aAhm2EALw_wcB). An excellent substitute is a few paint stirrer sticks. They are 1/8" thick. Position them around 4 sides of your dough, moving them as necessary, and you will have a uniform dough of a perfect thickness. Make a visit to a local paint store, and I'm pretty sure they'll give them to you for free. Especially if you offer to bring in a piece of pie or two.
6 Comments
Alexandra has a genius tip and video for making pie crust that doesn’t shrink.
Despite all this, your blind baked crust is simply going to shrink a little bit. That's why you need to start with the crust a bit larger or higher than your rim. Hopefully, it won't shrink past the rim, and if it happens to shrink less, you've just got a little more edge crust to nibble. The biggest key factor is to give the crust time to rest, and if you have the time- freeze it and bake it from the frozen state.
Overworking dough is a common mistake. It's sort of like people who are afraid of undercooking fish, so they overcook it just to be sure. Some bakers tend to fear crumbly dough that falls apart when attempting to roll it, that they over-hydrate and over-mix it. Adding too much water has the same effect as over-mixing: too much water encourages too much gluten development (gluten forms in the presence of water and agitation - i.e. mixing and kneading). The two together are deadly. In an a manner of speaking.
Fortunately, the fix is pretty simple. Use cold butter, straight out of the refrigerator. Put some ice cubes and water in something you can pour from, and pour icy cold water into your measuring cup JUST before you add it to your dough. I wrote a post about flaky pastry and how to achieve it in your own kitchen here. It routinely begins getting lots and lots of views around this time of year. Persevere!
https://thesolitarycook.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/perfect-flaky-pastry/
As for rolling to a uniform thickness, when I was in culinary school, we used what were called spacer bars. They were made of aluminum, and came in various thicknesses for use with a variety of doughs from shortbread to pie dough (https://www.culinarydepotinc.com/matfer-bourgeat-140204-confectionery-ruler-set-set?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=%7BSmart200+Shop%7D&gclid=Cj0KCQiAk7TuBRDQARIsAMRrfUaXWeVI8AvfhMuM7Kt4zVg3xRVBvDWHsOBZf1UqI52s2lSyc5KAbm0aAhm2EALw_wcB). An excellent substitute is a few paint stirrer sticks. They are 1/8" thick. Position them around 4 sides of your dough, moving them as necessary, and you will have a uniform dough of a perfect thickness. Make a visit to a local paint store, and I'm pretty sure they'll give them to you for free. Especially if you offer to bring in a piece of pie or two.