Further Reading for Perfect Pies:

• How to make foolproof flaky pie crust
• The best tips for making perfect pies
• How to blind bake pie crust
• How to make pie crust in the food processor
• How to prep and store pie crust in advance

Pastry Blender

A pastry blender is arguably the most crucial tool for anyone serious about making homemade pie crusts. Its primary function is to cut cold butter (or other fats) into flour, creating pea-sized pieces that are essential for developing a light, flaky texture. Without properly incorporating the fat, your crust can turn out tough and dense. While some bakers use their fingertips, a pastry blender keeps the butter colder, preventing it from melting too quickly and ensuring those pockets of steam that create flakiness. Beyond pie crusts, it’s incredibly useful for scones, biscuits, and other pastry doughs, making it a versatile addition to any baker’s arsenal.

Rolling Pin

Every baker needs a reliable rolling pin, but the type can significantly impact your experience. While any functional rolling pin will do, I personally adore my French-style rolling pin. Unlike traditional pins with handles, the French rolling pin features tapered ends, allowing for a more direct connection and intuitive feel with the dough. This design provides superior control, making it easier to roll out dough evenly from the center outwards, preventing thin spots and tears. This control is paramount when working with delicate pie crusts, ensuring a consistent thickness that bakes uniformly. It’s perfect for achieving that perfectly round shape and seamless transfer to your pie dish.

Bench Scraper

A bench scraper might seem like a simple tool, but its utility in pie making is immense. It’s incredibly handy for lifting and moving delicate pie crust without tearing it, especially when transferring it from your work surface to the pie dish. It’s also fantastic for dividing dough evenly, scraping up stubborn bits of dough from your countertop, and even cutting butter into flour if you don’t have a pastry blender on hand (though a pastry blender is still preferred for the best flakiness). Its flat, sturdy blade makes cleanup an absolute breeze, consolidating flour and dough scraps with a few swift motions.

Pie Dish

The humble pie dish is where all your hard work comes together, and choosing the right one can impact the final bake. I utilize a variety of pie dishes in my kitchen—ceramic for even heat distribution, metal for crispier bottoms, and glass for visual appeal. However, a standard 9-inch glass pie dish is my go-to for its versatility. The 9-inch diameter is compatible with nearly all pie recipes, and its flat edge allows for beautifully crimped crusts. The greatest advantage of a glass dish, in my opinion, is its transparency. This allows you to visually monitor the browning of your bottom crust, ensuring it’s perfectly cooked and never soggy—a common pitfall for many bakers. Look for one that is sturdy and heavy to promote even baking.

Pie Weights

For recipes that call for blind baking a pie crust, pie weights are invaluable. While you can certainly use dried beans or rice in a pinch, ceramic pie weights offer distinct advantages. They are specifically designed for baking, ensuring even heat transfer and preventing your crust from puffing up or shrinking during baking. Unlike food-based alternatives, ceramic weights are reusable, easy to clean, and store, making them a sustainable long-term investment. They provide consistent weight across the entire crust, which is crucial for maintaining its shape and integrity. Remember that small packages might not be enough; you’ll likely need two sets to adequately fill a standard 9-inch pie crust to prevent excessive shrinking.

Pie Shield

One of the common challenges in pie baking is preventing the delicate edges of your crust from burning before the rest of the pie is cooked through. Many bakers, including myself, often resort to makeshift solutions like aluminum foil. However, a dedicated ceramic pie shield offers a superior and more environmentally friendly alternative. These reusable shields fit perfectly around the rim of your pie dish, gently deflecting heat from the crust edges. This ensures even browning across the entire pie, preventing burnt edges and allowing the filling and bottom crust to bake thoroughly. It’s a simple tool that makes a big difference in the presentation and overall quality of your finished pie, eliminating the need for single-use foil.

Baking Mat with Measurements

Eliminate the guesswork from rolling out pie crusts, cookie dough, and other pastries with a silicone baking mat that features printed measurements. This indispensable tool helps you achieve precise dimensions and even thickness, ensuring your crust fits your pie dish perfectly every time. Beyond its utility for rolling dough, many of these mats also include handy temperature, weight, and measurement conversion charts right at your fingertips. This means less fumbling for cookbooks or online searches, making your baking process more streamlined and enjoyable. The non-stick surface also makes for effortless dough release and incredibly easy cleanup.

Pastry Wheel

For those who love to add a touch of artistry to their pies, a pastry wheel is an excellent investment. It’s perfect for precisely cutting strips of crust for beautiful lattice tops or other decorative elements. Many pastry wheels come as a 2-in-1 tool, featuring both a straight edge and a scalloped (or fluted) edge. This allows you to choose between a classic, clean cut or a more ornate, wavy design, giving your pies a professional and visually appealing finish. It’s much more efficient and gives a cleaner cut than a knife, especially when working with delicate dough.

Pastry Brush

While you might be able to get by without a dedicated pastry brush, I consider it a vital tool for achieving a truly beautiful pie. Before baking, I consistently brush every pie crust with an egg wash. This simple step creates an incredibly rich, golden-brown sheen and helps to achieve that desirable crispy crust. A good pastry brush, with soft bristles, ensures an even application without tearing the dough. It makes all the difference in the final presentation, elevating your homemade pies from delicious to absolutely stunning. It’s also useful for greasing pans or applying glazes to other baked goods.

Kitchen Scale

For the ultimate precision in baking, a kitchen scale is a game-changer. Baking is a science, and exact measurements are crucial for consistent results, especially when it comes to pie crusts. While measuring cups provide volume measurements, a kitchen scale provides accurate weight measurements, which are far more reliable. This eliminates the common pitfalls of improperly measured flour (too much or too little) which can drastically alter the texture of your dough. Many of my baking recipes, and most professional recipes, include gram measurements, and I strongly encourage you to use them. Investing in a digital kitchen scale will take the guesswork out of baking, ensuring the right amount of ingredients every time and leading to predictably perfect pies and other baked goods.