Crimping and fluting

The edge of a pie does practical work. In a double-crust pie it seals the top crust to the bottom so that juice cannot escape. Gisslen insists that double-crust pies be well sealed whether or not the edge is decorated, and moistens the rim of the bottom crust with water or egg wash before the top goes on. King Arthur brings the top crust over the edge of the bottom crust and presses the two into a ridge around the rim.

From the ridge there are two common finishes. King Arthur presses the dough flat onto the rim with the tines of a fork, or makes a taller finger crimp by pinching even indentations with the index finger of one hand against the thumb and finger of the other. It chills the pie for 20 to 30 minutes afterward so the crimp holds. For custard and other liquid fillings, both King Arthur and Gisslen favor a raised edge, which lets the shell be filled fuller and keeps the filling from sloshing over on the way to the oven.

Gisslen records a division of opinion in professional kitchens. Some bakers feel fluted edges improve the look of a pie; others think fluting takes too much time and produces a rim of heavy dough that customers leave on their plates. He leaves the choice to the instructor or the shop.

The edge also behaves differently by fat and by oven. King Arthur blames butter’s low melting point when a crimp melts and puddles and adds shortening for stability. A raised crimp requires weights when the shell is prebaked, while a flat fork edge allows the shell to be baked upside down. Because the rim browns before the filling is done, King Arthur covers it with foil or a shield, and prefers an adjustable silicone shield that can follow a ridged crimp. Judges look at the result: the Middlesex County Fair asks for a pastry edge regular and without bulges, and the American Pie Council’s pre-slice score covers the appearance of the crust.