Life of pie

Apple, strawberry, custard — everyone has a favorite pie. But baking the dish can be an endeavor.

Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out, here are some tips from experts in the field to ensure your holiday dessert turns out to be a success.

Key Ingredients

When it comes to ingredients, always use the best ones, according to “Her Royal Pieness” Kathy Masunaga, owner of Sweet Revenge Pies. (If the name sounds familiar, you’ve probably seen the pink pie truck at one of the farmers markets around town.)

“Using the best ingredients is what makes the difference between a great pie and a supermarket pie,” Masunaga says. “Use fresh, ripe fruits, European butter and real cream. Avoid canned fillings, which are more goo than fruit.

“I’m not a pastry chef, so ‘Her Royal Pieness’ is the title my kids gave me and what I go by,” she adds.

The Baking Process

Creating the perfect pie starts long before you actually start baking. Heather Lukela, owner of HB Baking — a local business known for its ice cream pies — emphasizes several preparatory steps.

“We live in a warm climate, so start with the cold ingredients — especially if you’re not working in air conditioning,” she says. “Keep your butter and dry ingredients in the freezer.”

“Keep your pie ingredients cold and don’t over-handle your dough prior to using,” echoes Andrew Chun-Hori, production and operations manager of Hawaiian Pie Co. “If the dough is too soft, refrigerate it so it firms up prior to use. It’s also okay to use frozen pie shells sold in grocery stores.”

After the wet ingredients are incorporated, wrap tightly and chill overnight to hydrate the dough, per Lukela.

“Also add a pinch of baking powder to the dry ingredients,” she says. “This makes the dough puff up during baking to increase the crust’s flakiness. And don’t forget to add salt — to everything.”

Before baking the pie, Chun-Hori recommends knowing your individual oven’s settings.

“Recipes often include a general bake time, but always keep that as a baseline,” he says. “Be sure to always check your oven to ensure your pie is baking to your satisfaction.

“To even out your bake, spin your pan 180 degrees halfway through your bake time,” he adds. “For example, for a 60-minute bake time, spin your pie 30 minutes into your bake.”

Completing the Crust

Achieving the perfect pie crust can be tricky, but these seasoned bakers have lots of advice.

To get a shiny, golden-brown finish, general manager of Zippy’s food solutions Jan Tsukazaki recommends putting egg wash on the top crust before baking.

“Pinch and seal the edge well, and cut a vent hole on the top to let the steam out so the top crust doesn’t balloon up and crack,” she explains. “With fruit pies, place lots of butter on top of the fruit before covering with the crust.”

“Half baking the crust and brushing it with eggs whites helps to waterproof it and keep it from being soggy,”

Masunaga adds. Masunaga also recommends keeping all crust ingredients cold — including flour.

“Be sure to add sugar and salt to the crust so that it has flavor,” she says. “If you can get a higher-fat cream (ChefZone carries it), your whipped cream will be amazing. Add sugar to taste and a pinch of salt.”

While everyone’s methods for baking the pies and filling differ, Lukela prefers to make the filling and pie crust separately.

“I cook fruit fillings in the oven or on the stove and pour it into the crust once it’s cooled; this way, you can control the thickness of your filling,” she says. “It also allows you to taste it along the way.”

“Also, use starch or tapioca pudding to thicken your filling before putting it in the crust,” Chun-Hori adds.

Remember, It’s a Work in Progress

Regardless of your baking experience, creating the ideal pie takes practice.

“Take your time,” Masunaga advises. “Pies are an exercise in patience — taking time with the crust, letting it rest, making the filling, pre-baking the crust and baking it with care. The steps can often be done over several days. Read your recipe several times and study it carefully. It often helps to rewrite it in your own way so that it makes more sense.”

Above all, it’s important to be creative and enjoy the process.

“Honestly, baking pies is a great way to use your imagination and experiment with your own tastes,” adds Chun-Hori. “If I had to say, in general, making pies is my favorite thing — and custard tends to be my favorite pie to make, since my grandfather (Grandpa Yasu) was the person to show me how to make it.”