My pie crust kept shrinking until I changed one small thing

I spent about two years making pies for church potlucks and every single crust would shrink down the sides of the pan. Finally last month my aunt watched me roll one out and pointed out I was stretching the dough too tight into the dish. She said to just gently press it in without pulling and let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes before baking. Has anyone else dealt with crust shrinkage and found a fix that works for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

anderson.jason1mo ago

I used to think resting the dough was just an extra fussy step that didn't matter, but your aunt's advice changed my mind completely (and saved me a lot of pie shame). Letting it chill for 20 minutes really lets the gluten relax, so it doesn't fight back and shrink up in the oven. Now I swear by the fridge rest after pressing the dough in gently, no stretching allowed.

margaretj401mo ago

Wait, wait wait - you said "no stretching allowed"? Hold on, @anderson.jason, you're telling me I've been manhandling my pie dough like I'm wrestling a snake all these years and that's the problem? I always thought you had to stretch it to fit the pan perfectly, like coaxing a fitted sheet onto a mattress corner. Turns out I was just making it angry and it'd shrink back in the oven every single time. Now I'm sitting here rethinking every pie I've ever made and feeling like a real dummy.