How do you Keep the Edges of a Pie from Burning before the Middle is Done?

We made an apple pie yesterday to celebrate Red Apple Day and Pie Day.  The outer rim of the pie got really brown before the center was done.

How do you keep the edges of a pie from burning before the middle is done?  

In the past, I have used aluminum foil. The pie was already browned before dear hubby asked me what to do.

I see beautifully browned pies like were in those pictures, so what am I missing?  How do you do it?

Hello Anne, did you glaze your pie? I have found that brushing the top of the pie crust with beaten egg (or whole milk) before placing the pie in the oven helps the crust brown more evenly. I usually start cooking the pie at a higher heat 200C for the first 10 minutes then lower it to 175C which helps the pastry to crisp/harden and still allow the filling to fully cook without making the crust soggy.

Megan, thanks for the suggestions.  

We have never "brushing the top of the pie crust with beaten egg (or whole milk)" before so we will try this next time.

I usually make the crust and then let hubby finish it as this gives him something to do rather than sit in his recliner.

Also, I didn't pay attention to the oven temp, which was probably too high.  I like the idea of turning the temp down after the first 10 minutes.

Thank you so much for your help.

Anne Miller wrote:

Also, I didn't pay attention to the oven temp, which was probably too high.  I like the idea of turning the temp down after the first 10 minutes.

Anne,  were you able to determine what temperature you were baking at?  Just recently I've been modifying a lot of recipes in order to use our air-fryer/toaster oven for more routine baking.  Did a decent pumpkin pie over the weekend, but have to admit if I were even using 350 deg. F. in that oven it would have burnt the edges.  Something about the low-level fan of the oven (this is not the 'air-bake' setting, just the regular bake setting that *still* uses some fan distribution of heat) makes it better to use set temperatures on the crude dial of ~300 - 325 deg. F. max.  Can't say how close this is to the actual temp in the oven, but after a 25 min. bake the pumpkin pie filling was just right and the crust just starting to brown.  Don't know if that helps at all.... good luck!

I find things burn round the edge if they are to big for the oven so they get close to the walls. That is especially noticeable if your oven doesn't have a fan. Also if you have the item to high up in the oven and there isn't enough room for air to circulate round it.

You can also make a “ribbon” of aluminum foil and loosely crimp it around the edges of the pie after the crust starts to set or on the raw crust if it is firm. You may want to remove the foil for the last few minutes of baking. This is an old fashion remedy.

John, I suspect that the oven temp dear hubby was using was 450.  I cook everything at 350.

Our propane gas oven is a standard size stove for the US so it is big.  I could almost cook two turkeys in it.

I have a convection oven that I use like a toaster oven because I hate the "air bake mode" as everything cooks on the outside before the inside is anywhere near cooked.  I loved my previous convection oven.

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

Anne Miller wrote:John, I suspect that the oven temp dear hubby was using was 450.  I cook everything at 350.

Our propane gas oven is a standard size stove for the US so it is big.  I could almost cook two turkeys in it.

I have a convection oven that I use like a toaster oven because I hate the "air bake mode" as everything cooks on the outside before the inside is anywhere near cooked.  I loved my previous convection oven.

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

450 would be too hot for pies...tell hubby to try 350

This is an issue I have had as well, even when baking at the temp the recipe calls for. The foil trick does work, but I always struggle trying to crimp the little pieces onto the edge. If it's later in the baking, it's near impossible due to risk of burning fingers and half the time they fall off anyway (the foil bits, not the fingers), leaving a still burnt crust. What has worked better for me is to unroll a square of foil a little bigger than my pie pan. Then I trace around the bottom of the pan and cut out the circle from the center of the foil. I hope that makes sense. Pie crust covered with no fiddly bits! I may eventually get a pie crust shield, since I do like baking pies and don't like having to toss all that foil. Or maybe there's a way to make a more durable one rather than buy..

This might not work, but I wonder if moving the pie to the bottom rack once the crust was browned enough could help? Especially if you put something on the rack above it? Maybe a pizza stone or something with some thermal mass to act as a shield?

Would it help to preheat or parcook the filling ingredients (e.g., for apple pie)?

I only ask out of deep concern for pie and its well-being in these trying times. Pie is worth fighting for, a hill to die on. Actually my wife is the baker around here.

Heather Olivia wrote:The foil trick does work, but I always struggle trying to crimp the little pieces onto the edge. If it's later in the baking, it's near impossible due to risk of burning fingers and half the time they fall off anyway (the foil bits, not the fingers), leaving a still burnt crust.  

I use a foil strip around the lid of a cast iron dutch oven to improve the seal and the foil strip is kept and re -used. I double or triple fold the strip to make it sturdy enough for multiple uses and if the width isn't long enough, overlap the pieces before I fold and shape them to the circumference of the pot lid. This could be used on your pies and slipped around the edge of the pie crust once it's brown enough. The point of the V fold would be at the outer edge of the pie and the ends tuck into each other so need to crimp the foil. Hope that this makes sense. If not, I can post a photo when I get home later.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

I only ask out of deep concern for pie and its well-being in these trying times. Pie is worth fighting for, a hill to die on. Actually my wife is the baker around here.

Agreed, but Douglas, I recommend you bake the next one.....get yourself powdered from head to toe with the flour and garner some real emotional investment in the next pie...and you will build ramparts on that hill the likes of which your neighbors have never seen.  

"In order to LOVE the pie...you must BECOME the pie!...." -- derivation of old Buddist sentiment.

John, I see the deep-dish wisdom in what you say. Perhaps I should first strive to master brownies and work my way up?