The Soggy Bottom

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Published 2008

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Underbaked bottom crusts or crusts that have soaked up moisture from the filling are a common fault in pies. Soggy bottoms can be avoided in several ways:

Use mealy dough for bottom crusts. Mealy dough absorbs less liquid than flaky dough does.
Use high bottom heat, at least at the beginning of baking, to set the crust quickly. Bake the pies at the bottom of the oven.
Do not add hot fillings to unbaked crusts.
For fruit pies, line the bottom of the pie shell with a thin layer of cake crumbs before pouring in the filling. This helps absorb some juice that might otherwise soak into the crust.
Use dark metal pie tins, which absorb heat. (Because so many bakers use disposable aluminum pans, other methods must be relied on. Disposable pans with black bottoms are sometimes available.)
If finished pies still have underbaked bottoms, they can be set on a flattop range for a few minutes. However, exercise extreme care to avoid scorching.

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