The Actual Reason Your Pie Crust Is Shrinking (And How To Fix It) - Tasting Table

"There are many challenges that you might encounter when making pie crust from scratch. Some of the most common ones are a crumbling crust, a dry or flavorless crust, and perhaps even a shrinking crust. To make sure you have everything you need to make holiday pies this season, Tasting Table spoke with an expert to get fail-proof tips for homemade pie crusts and find out how to prevent them from shrinking when baking."

"Pie crust ingredients should always be ice-cold to ensure the fat, whether butter or lard, stays solid until it bakes. Then, as it bakes, it will melt, releasing steam that creates that perfect, flaky pie crust texture that you want. Also, cold ingredients don't blend as easily as room-temperature, warm, or melted ingredients. This means that you're less likely to overwork your dough, which could cause dry, crumbling dough that is hard to form into a crust."

There are common problems when making pie crust from scratch: crumbling, dryness, lack of flavor, and shrinking. Use ice-cold fat (butter or lard) so it stays solid until baking; as it melts it releases steam that creates flaky layers. Cold ingredients resist blending, which reduces the risk of overworking dough and producing a dry, crumbly crust. Handle dough minimally and keep it cold to make it easier to shape without excess touching. Arrange dough properly in the pie plate and flute or otherwise anchor the edges; use pie weights when blind baking to prevent shrinkage.

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