How to Fold a Pie

I hope I get this up in time to help some of you with your Thanksgiving preparations. It occurred to me as I was making apple and pumpkin pies this morning, that you may not know how to fold a pie, or rather, a pie crust.

My mother taught me how to do this, and her mother in law taught her. I don’t know how many times I watched my mother craft a pie as a child. I love that I can create the magic myself now in my own kitchen.

Creating a perfect pie can be stressful enough, without having the pastry tear as you’re transferring it to the pie plate

So try this simple method…

After you’ve rolled your pastry into a generous circle, larger than than you pie plate

Use a thin metal spatula to fold it in half.

Then fold it again, into quarters. Now the pastry is easily lifted and laid on the pie, the point centered, and unfolded.

See? No tears. No tears.

Then trim your edges and proceed with your pie – crimping the edges and such. I didn’t photograph the whole process because 1)I’m rather self-concious about my pie-edge-crimping abilities, and 2) Plenty of other people have blogged about this.

If you’re looking for an excellent pie crust recipe, look no further than my grandmother’s pastry. If you want step-by-step instructions for the whole pie, check out Smitten Kitchen. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Most important tip – cool that pie crust before you bake it! a good hour (or overnight, as I am doing) in the fridge before you put it in the oven. One of the secrets of flakiness.

How many pies are you making? I’m making 4 – 2 pumpkin, an apple, and a cherry-almond with crumb topping. Yum!


Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!