Pie Crust III: Flute It

There are many ways to flute a pie crust, but they all begin with folding under the inch or so of pastry that hangs over the edge of the pie plate before you add the filling.

If the folded pastry is formed into a high rim that rests firmly on the lip of the plate, it won’t fall into the pie during baking and will also act as a dam to hold the filling in the pie.

Tools such as forks and spoons that are used in fluting need to be dipped in flour occasionally to prevent them from sticking.

The edge can simply be flattened with the tines of a fork or by pressing the rim down and cutting it into a scalloped pattern with the tip of an inverted teaspoon. You may also cut out tiny pastry circles with a thimble and place them, overlapping, on the flattened rim that has been dampened with water.

These methods, of course, defeat the purpose of the edge acting as a dam for the filling.

Rope edges are formed by pressing the dough between your thumb and knuckle of the index finger. For V-shaped fluting use the handle of a fork or an index finger.

Create a more subtle ruffled edge by placing the thumb and index finger of one hand about an inch apart on the pastry rim and pulling the pastry outward with the index finger of the other hand. Pressing a measuring tablespoon on the inside edge against the thumb and index finger on the outside creates a similar pattern.

Once the edges are fluted, the pie crust is ready to be baked blind or filled before baking.

1--Press the folded edge into an upright rim, even with the edge of the pie plate.

2--For an easy decorative edge, flatten the pastry on the rim of the pie plate with a fork.

3--A rope edge is made by placing your thumb on the pastry rim at an angle, then pressing the dough between it and the upper knuckle of the index finger.

4--For a V-shaped edge, place the handle of a spoon against the inside of the pastry rim and push it outward between the thumb and index finger of the other hand.