How to keep a pie crust from shrinking, once and for all

You're baking a homemade pie and can't wait to see how it turns out. After 30 minutes you open the oven just a crack to see – oh no! The crust that was once pressed around the edge of the pie has mysteriously shrunk to a thin, sad strip of pastry half-fallen into the inside of the pan. So disappointing!

What happened? And how can you prevent it from happening in the future?

Two side-by-side baked pumpkin pies; one with crusts falling to the sides, one standing up. — The crust for both of these pumpkin pies started out nicely snug around the rim of the pan. But the crust on the left pie shrank as it baked, while the one on the right stayed put.

Any number of things can contribute to the crust falling off. Maybe your recipe uses too much shortening or butter, or you rolled the crust too vigorously, or you didn't let it rest and cool before baking. Maybe you used the wrong size pan, or not enough filling.

The good news is that all of this is controllable. Make the right choices along the way and you'll create a perfect pie whose crust looks as good as it tastes. The following tips will help keep your pie crusts from falling and shrinking—I know, because I've tested each of them to make sure they make a difference in your pie baking.

In pie crust form and in pans, ready to fill or pre-bake. — Even a relatively fragile one Butter Pie Crust it will keep its shape during baking if you follow a few simple rules.

How to prevent pie crust from shrinking

1) Start with a good recipe

To maintain its shape during baking, the pastry needs liquid to activate the flour gluten. For a smooth and soft texture, it also requires fat. The balance of these two ingredients is critical. Too much fat and the crust loses its structure and shrinks; very juicy, it is firm and leathery. I have found that a fat ratio between 60% and 80% (using baker's percentage), with the addition of just enough water to make the dessert cohesive, will produce a paste that keeps its shape in the oven and has a smooth and soft texture.

Because butter has a lower melting point than vegetable shortening, a pie crust made with butter is more likely to lose its texture (shrink) than one made with shortening, or a combination of the two. our Classic Double Pie Crust Recipe it gives you the best of both worlds: you get the flavor of butter and the “setting power” of shortening. That doesn't mean you can't make a structural sound all butter crust; you'll just have to be a little more careful about applying the following rules.

Pie cake formed into a disk and wrapped in wax paper before being refrigerated. — Chilling the rolled dough disc for 30 minutes before unwrapping is key to keeping it shrink-free.

2) Let the dough rest and cool before rolling out

This step accomplishes two things: It ensures that the fat is cold, which encourages the dessert to be crumbly rather than crumbly. And it gives the gluten in the flour a chance to relax, making it easier to roll (and less likely to shrink later).

What's the best way to refrigerate pie crusts? Wrap and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes, or until it feels cold all the way through but is still pliable. This is enough time to relax the gluten and lower the temperature of the butter or shortening—both of which will help your crust stay in place while it bakes.

Wouldn't it be faster and just as good to freeze the dough? No; By the time the innermost part of the pastry disc is cool, the outer part will have become brittle and difficult to handle. Slower and gentler cooling in the refrigerator is preferred.

3) The more gently you roll the dough, the less likely it will shrink

Gluten responds to treatment by tightening, which can then lead to shrinkage in the oven. You respond to tight gluten (and dough that keeps shrinking) by beating the batter even harder with the pancake, right? You will never win that battle. Try this instead: After your dough has finished resting, use a minimum of firm, smooth strokes, rolling from the center out (rather than back and forth, which can tighten the gluten even more ).

The rolled pie crust was placed in a pie pan, the edges still untrimmed. — Gently place a generous sized crust into its pan – no stretching to fit, please! — is critical to ultimate success.

4) Roll out the crust large enough for your pan

Your goal is to have at least 1″ of crust hanging around the rim of the pan. A good rule of thumb is to roll your crust at least 2″ wider than the inside measurement of the pan: Use a flexible measuring tape to measure the pan starting at the rim, moving down the side, along the bottom, and up to the opposite rim. (Don't have a tape measure? Use a piece of string and a ruler.) This overhang allows you to gently place the crust in the pan without stretching it. Because, gluten: Stretch it and it will try to shrink, and shrinkage is exactly what you want to avoid.

If you want to make a high crimped rim instead of just pressing the dough into the rim of the pan with a fork, leave yourself even more slack. For a 9″ pie in one Standard pan 1 1/2″ deeproll your crust 13″ to 14″ wide.

5) Press the crust firmly onto the surface of the pan after placing it carefully

This advice comes from us Baking school, where we teach students that this helps “anchor” the crust to the pan: just a little extra insurance against shrinking and sliding while the pie is baking. Just make sure not to stretch the crust while pressing.

Pie crust in a pan, all wrapped in a plastic bag before refrigerating. — “Do I really have to let it cool again?” Yes Yes. Chilling the crust before filling (or after filling but before baking) is an important step to ensure a perfect finish.

6) Let the crust rest and cool for about 30 minutes after it's in the pan

Again, it's all about fat and gluten. You have just opened the dough, which heats the fat and “exercises” the gluten. This is your last chance before baking to make sure the fat is cold and the gluten is relaxed, both of which will help keep your crust from falling apart.

7) Use enough padding

Whether it's a pourable cream (think pumpkin) or cups of fresh fruit, your pie filling is an effective anchor for the crust below and around it. Without enough filling to hold it in place, the crust can slide to the edges of the pan as the pie bakes. A good recipe will accurately specify the amount of filling and the size of the pan. But what if you don't – or decide to use a larger pan?

Pumpkin pie cream is poured into a pie shell pressed into a pan, ready to bake. — A long crimp helps keep the cream pie filling, such as pumpkin, from melting over the rim as you place the pie in the oven. Tip: Put the pie in the oven unfilled, then pour the filling after the pie is well placed on the rack.

For pies with liquid filling, use enough to almost (but not quite) reach the rim of the pan. For fresh fruit pies (where blackberries, peaches, apples, etc. will shrink during baking), make sure the fruit is piled well above the rim of the pan. (If you're pre-baking a pie crust without filling, you'll still fill it to hold the dough in place, as noted below.)

What if your recipe calls for a pre-baked crust? Follow the above steps to the point where the crust is ready to bake, then fill with your choice of weights: dry beans, uncooked rice, pie weightsAND and sugar are good options. Bake as the recipe directs. This controlled pre-baking will set the structure of the crust, making it impossible for it to shrink after the filling is added. For details, see Pre-baking the pie crust.

Wondering how to make sure your pie crust is perfectly browned – top AND bottom – or how to thicken your fruit filling perfectly? Find answers to all your dessert challenges in our Pie Baking Guide.

Cover photo by Mark Weinberg; food styling by Liz Neily.

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