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How to Crimp a Pie Crust
A fluted pie crust or crimped pie crust is the classic scalloped design you probably picture when you think of pie crust designs. There are a few different methods to crimp pie crust edges, but this method consistently gives me clean, well-defined crimps.
To follow this guide, you’ll want a batch of pastry-style pie crust such as a flaky all-butter pie dough, and you’ll want to have it rolled out and ready to fit into your pie tin for shaping.
This guide is for learning how to flute or crimp pie crust edges to make a classic scalloped design. If you’re looking for something else, here are other pie crust edges we have guides for:
- Easiest Ways to Finish a Pie Crust (Beginner)
- Decorating Pie Crusts with Dough Cut-Outs (Intermediate)
- Leaf Edge (Advanced)
- Braided Pie Crust Edges (Expert)
Note: This post covers how to form pie shells (think pumpkin pie or pecan pie) for pies without a top crust.
Quick Tips on Forming Pie Crusts
There are a few general tips that make shaping pie crusts a little bit easier.
- Exaggerate the Shape of the Crust: Pie crust almost always loses some of it’s shape as it bakes. As the pie bakes, the crust begins to revert back towards its original shape. Exaggerating the shape, more defined flutes, deeper ridges, etc., while forming the crust helps it retain its shape after baking. If you’re baking a pie where the intricacy of the design matters, you can help the crust retain its shape better by reducing the proportion of butter in the pie dough. However, you’ll be trading some of the flakiness for detail.
- Freeze Your Pie Crust: Freezing your pie crust before baking and baking the pie crust from frozen helps it retain its shape better while baking as well. Freezing the pie dough before baking it keeps the butter solid until it’s baked creating flakier layers. Additionally, pastry dough shrinks less when it’s baked from frozen.
Fitting Pie Dough Into a Pie Tin
Before following this tutorial, you should already have rolled out a batch of pie dough. If you haven’t, you can follow my recipe for all-butter pie dough here, or my tutorial for rolling out pie dough here.
Start by taking your round of rolled pie dough out of the refrigerator. It should feel cool to the touch but still flexible; it should be fairly firm but not so cold that it cracks when bent. If you chose to freeze our pie dough in advance, let it rest until it becomes malleable, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Once the dough is at a good temperature, center the round of dough over your pie tin and adjust it until it’s evenly positioned. Some tutorials suggested wrapping the dough around your rolling pin to transfer it, but if the dough is at the right temperature, it should be sturdy enough to pick it up and move it directly.
Once centered, gently guide the dough into the corners of the pie tin. Lift the edges slightly with one hand while sliding the dough downward. Avoid stretching or pulling the dough. This will cause the dough to contract while baking and cause the crust to slump into the tin. After fitting the dough fully into the tin, run your fingers along the inside to smooth out the inner crease.
Now your crust is ready to be formed! If the dough has softened while fitting it into the pan, return it to the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm back up before forming.
Rolling the Edge of Your Pie Crust
Before you can crimp your pie crust, first you need to roll the edge of the crust. It may take a little practice to build the muscle memory down, but it’s well worth it when you do! A rolled edge opens up a whole world of decorative pie crust designs.
How to Roll a Pie Crust Edge
1.
Start by fitting your pie dough round into your pie tin.
2.
Trim the overhang with a pair of kitchen scissors so that there is about 1” of extra dough all the way around.
3.
At the far edge of the pie (directly across from your body), lift the overhang with both hands.
4.
Fold the dough under itself at a 45° angle towards your dominant hand.
5.
Begin twisting, rolling the dough under itself, like a rope, so that the roll sits right on the edge of the pie tin.
6.
Continue rolling all the way around the pie.
7.
When the two ends meet in a triangle, pinch it flat with your fingers and tuck the excess underneath.
Note: If your crust slumps inwards while baking, you may be pulling the dough too hard as you roll. Avoid stretching the dough out of the pan and roll gently.
How to Crimp a Pie Crust
Once you’ve rolled the edge of your pie crust, you can proceed with fluting or crimping the edge. Don’t be discouraged if your first fluted crust doesn’t look bakery perfect! This is a skill that improves with practice.
1.
Start by rolling the edge of your pie crust as described above.
2.
Place the knuckles of your index and middle fingers of your dominant hand on the inside edge of the crust. Position the thumb of your other hand on the outside edge, between your knuckles from step 2.
3.
Gently roll your knuckles outward against your thumb to create a flute.
4.
Set your index finger where your middle finger was for the previous flute and repeat step 3. Repeat around the entire pie.
5.
Use the index finger of your dominant hand and the index finger and thumb of your other hand to go back around the pie, defining the flutes.
6.
Transfer the pie crust to the freezer until you’re ready to blind bake.
How to Bake a Pie Crust
Once you’ve formed and frozen your pie crust, depending on what kind of pie you’re making, you may need to bake your pie crust. If you’re making any kind of pie that doesn’t need to be baked in the oven, you’ll need to bake your pie crust first. Some classic examples are chocolate cream pie or banana cream pie. Even if you’re making a pie that does need to go back into the oven, like a pecan pie or a pumpkin pie, you might still want to blind-bake your pie crust for an extra crispy crust.
The process for baking a pie crust without any filling inside of the crust is called blind baking. You can find my guide to blind baking pie crust here!
About Me
In 2016, I left my office job and became a professional baker. These days I spend my days testing recipes and baking pies while my two dogs snooze happily nearby.
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