Pastry 101: How to braid pie dough

My mom makes legendary pies. So did my grandmothers. Me? Not so much. I’m okay at it now, but it took a long time and tons of practice—once, I volunteered for a charity bake sale and we made 200 pies in one day (ouch). The only easy part is the eating. In the Chatelaine Kitchen, we have made a lot of pies and have learned a few truths: Food processors make excellent pastry in less than 3 minutes. Always bake pie on a baking sheet to save the oven from spillovers. Everyone’s pie turns out differently (at Chatelaine, I can tell who made a pie by the crimp). And if a pie looks terrible, just cover it with whipped cream. It’ll be delicious.

Glossary: Paté brisée

Also known as short crust, it's a classic pie pastry. It’s a simple mix of flour, fat (butter, lard or shortening) and water, with optional add-ins of sugar and salt. Get our recipe here.

Braided edge

If you want to dress up this year's pumpkin pie—or are planning to bake the stunning chocolate-bourbon pecan pie from our October issue, try this deceptively simple way to transform any pie into art:

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Recipe: Chocolate-bourbon pecan pie

Crimping style

Novice: Fork crimp Works best for pumpkin or crumble-topped pies since no top crust is required. Trim overhanging pastry, then press tines of a fork evenly around the edge.

Intermediate: Pastry cut-outs Ideal for apple pie. Roll out a top crust and use cookie cutters to create steam vents. Cut out more shapes from pastry scraps. Use egg wash to attach shapes evenly around the edge.

Advanced: Lattice Shows off the rich colours of berry, cherry or peach pies. Roll out pastry and cut into strips. Weave into a lattice, then brush with egg wash or cream.

Recipe: Traditional pumpkin pie

Best rolling pins

Straight: Our favourite! Long enough for big pizza dough but precise enough for delicate pastry.

Tapered: Great for rolling pastry into circles like pies and galettes.

Handles: This classic is a great starter pin because it keeps warm hands away from cold pastry.

Related:
5 ways to stop your pastry from shrinking
How to weave a lattice pie crust
10 (other) things to know about making pie

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