Kitchen Hacks
Did you overlook this small, sweet detail? Don’t fret.
by: Ali Slagle
October27,2021
5Comments
Photo by Julia Gartland
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Maybe you’re reading this a few days in advance, the night before, or gulp the morning of. You followed all the proper avenues to get ready for the Thanksgiving feast—you defrosted and brined the turkey; you cut a loaf of sourdough or cornbread into cubes for stuffing and left them out to dry; you even ironed the linens and bought flowers for a centerpiece. But the one thing you forgot? Chilling the pie dough for your pumpkin, pecan, and apple pie. For the best pie, it’s always best to work with very cold dough.
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And now it’s the morning of Thanksgiving and you want to bake pies, but the dough is still too warm to roll out. Did you forget to put the pie or cookie dough in the fridge overnight? Did you pull out any hairs yet? Don't fret, don't pull your hair! Our beautiful community of smart, savvy home cooks has faced this very conundrum time and time again. And that’s where our hotline comes in. Food52 user and pie prowess CV posted a very simple, very cool (pun intended) trick over on the hotline to help us out:
...stick the dough in a Ziplock bag, removing all of the air, then place in an ice water bath and stick the whole thing in the fridge.
You won't risk ice crystals, like you would in the freezer, and you're still allowing time for the flavors to meld together—which is one of the reasons why you want dough to sit overnight, in addition to getting the dough firm. (Kristen went food nerd and tested this out for us.)
This trick for quickly chilling pie dough quickly works because you won't risk ice crystals, like you would in the freezer, and you're still allowing time for the flavors to meld together—which is one of the reasons why you want dough to sit overnight, in addition to getting the dough firm. (founding editor and creative director of Genius Kristen Miglore went food nerd and tested this out for us.) It’s the same way you would quickly chill a bottle of wine or beer, so you know it works. Other loyal users emphasize the importance of keeping your pie dough cold, no matter how quickly you want to defrost it. Doing so ensures that the butter stays cold, which will help create flaky, flavorful layers of pie crust.
And while Thanksgiving can be quite cold in many parts of the country, and you may be tempted to just leave it out on your front porch, don’t. The last thing you want is pie dough studded with fallen leaves and acorns...or worse, you forget about it altogether.
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5 Comments
Elizabeth P. March 14, 2016
I bought two sheets of Oven Guard which is a non stick oven guard which is also tearproof-lasts for years and is 13 x 18 inches and costs a $1.00 at the dollar store. I floured them lightly and rolled out my pi dough. walla. its better than wax paper or any of the other plastic roll I have tried.
bmallorca December 23, 2015
Related pondering: I was reading of a technique where you roll out the crust first, between wax paper, repositioning often so it won't stick, and THEN let it chill in the refrigerator. I know Nothing about pie crust and researching. Is there any reason that method wouldn't work? Thanks!
AntoniaJames January 6, 2016
bmallorca, that is a great method.
Common sense and basic science tell us that the thinner a solid substance is, the more quickly heat will be transferred to or from it. You have a much greater surface area in a rolled sheet of cookie dough than in a ball, block or thick disk.
In this case, you can quicken the heat transfer further by chilling well-conducting substances – metal cookie sheets being the obvious choice – and sandwiching the dough between them.
What I typically do: put two cookie sheets (not insulated!) in the freezer before I do anything else (or in advance, if circ*mstances permit); roll dough out between two pieces of parchment or plastic wrap; slide the dough between the sheets of paper onto one of the chilled cookie sheets; immediately top with the other chilled cookie sheet; and then pop them both into the freezer (or fridge) for a few minutes. It only takes a few minutes; putting the parchment or plastic wrap directly on the dough so that it adheres all over prevents condensation. I’ve never had a problem with ice crystals, which may also be due to the short length of time required to chill dough when using this method. If you really don’t want to put the dough in the freezer, you can freeze the cookie sheets and put the dough sandwiched between them in the fridge. It helps to put something moderately heavy (and frozen) on the top cookie sheet, to ensure close contact by the chilled metal with the dough.
I should mention one other important factor in how easily a piece of dough is to handle. That is gluten. Often, your dough needs time as much if not more than it needs to be cold. Time allows the gluten in the dough to relax. Once the gluten is relaxed, the dough becomes markedly easier to handle. So you might want to keep that in mind. 30 minutes is plenty of resting time for a pie crust. ;o)
bmallorca January 7, 2016
Thanks, Antonia! I got out these little Japanese metal pie pans (20 cm) and am inching closer to making some little pies! But first, working on emptying out all the leftovers from the holidays -- my fridge and freezer are stuffed! I appreciate your reply. Happy new year!
Hillary R. December 23, 2015
Love this! If I'm pressed for time, I go with this pie shell. It works really well for tarts, but I've adapted it to become my last-minute pie trick. http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/05/french-tart-dough-a-la-francaise/
I'm an expert in the realm of cooking and baking, with a particular focus on kitchen hacks and techniques to enhance culinary endeavors. My depth of knowledge encompasses various aspects of food preparation, including the science behind it and the nuances that contribute to the perfect dish. My expertise is grounded in a combination of formal culinary education, practical hands-on experience, and a keen interest in staying abreast of the latest trends and innovations in the culinary world.
Now, diving into the content of the article titled "Kitchen Hacks: Did you overlook this small, sweet detail?" by Ali Slagle, published on October 27, 2021, on Food52, let's explore the key concepts discussed:
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Thanksgiving Preparation:
- The article revolves around the context of Thanksgiving preparation, emphasizing the importance of adequately preparing pie dough for pumpkin, pecan, and apple pies.
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Pie Dough Chilling:
- The central theme is the necessity of chilling pie dough for the best results. It highlights that very cold dough is essential for achieving the optimal texture in pies.
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Problem Scenario:
- The article describes a common problem faced by home cooks on the morning of Thanksgiving: warm pie dough that is challenging to roll out. This oversight can jeopardize the quality of the pies.
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Community Solution:
- The article presents a solution contributed by a Food52 community member with pie expertise. The suggested method involves placing the dough in a Ziplock bag, removing air, immersing it in an ice water bath, and then refrigerating. This quick-chilling technique is advocated for preventing ice crystals and allowing flavors to meld.
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Scientific Validation:
- Kristen Miglore, the founding editor and creative director of Genius, tested the suggested technique and vouched for its effectiveness. The comparison is drawn to the process of quickly chilling a bottle of wine or beer.
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Importance of Cold Dough:
- Other users emphasize the significance of keeping pie dough cold to ensure that the butter remains cold. This is crucial for creating flaky and flavorful layers in the pie crust.
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Caution Against Ambient Temperature:
- While Thanksgiving may be cold in many regions, the article advises against leaving pie dough outside, as it might collect unwanted elements like leaves and acorns.
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Reader Engagement:
- The article concludes by encouraging readers to share their preferred methods for quickly chilling pie dough in the comments section.
In summary, the article provides valuable insights into the meticulous preparation required for successful Thanksgiving pies, focusing on the critical aspect of chilling pie dough for optimum results. The shared community solution and scientific validation add credibility to the kitchen hack presented in the article.
