Got told my pie crust was too tough at a church bake sale

Some older lady named Betty at the county fair bake-off last September said my fruit pie crust felt like shoe leather. She was right, I had been overworking the dough because I thought it needed more mixing. Anyone else had to unlearn a bad habit from a random stranger's comment?

3 comments

3 Comments

simonk983d ago

Betty knows her stuff though, overmixing is the number one crust killer.

leewood3d ago

Wait, you're saying she actually taught you to overmix on purpose sometimes? That's wild, I've always heard the exact opposite from every baker I've ever talked to. I mean, I've definitely wrecked a few pie crusts myself by getting too aggressive with the mixing, so I can see her point. But going against the classic "stop when it looks shaggy" rule sounds risky to me. Your mileage may vary, but I'm not sure I'd try that at home unless I had her right there watching.

evan_davis3d ago

See, I actually disagree a bit here. Overmixing is definitely a problem, but I've found a tougher crust has more to do with too much water or not enough fat than just mixing time alone.