How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust

June 15, 2018 14 Comments »

It may look fancy, but weaving a lattice pie crust is actually pretty easy! Follow my step-by-step video tutorial for a gorgeous pie presentation.

There’s nothing more home-y and old fashioned than a freshly baked pie with a lattice top crust, cooling on a window sill. Am I right?

I bet you have admired this look many times, but maybe you thought it looked too intricate and difficult to create.

Well, guess what? It’s really pretty simple. Today I’m going to show you how it’s done!

I’ve been on a real pie kick lately. We’ve shared Key Lime Pie, Banana Cream Pie, and a unique Paloma Pie (made with grapefruit and tequila) in just the last few weeks. Something about summer just inspires pie baking!

And now that we’re moving into the real warm weather months, all the seasonal fruit is just exploding, and it’s the perfect time to bake up a juicy fruit pie.

WHY WEAVE A LATTICE TOP CRUST ON A PIE?

Sure, a lattice pie crust looks gorgeous, but did you know it actually serves a real, functional purpose?

When a pie is filled with a juicy, bubbling fruit filling, the steam needs to escape somehow, or you could have a real disaster on your hands!

All those little windows in the lattice pie crust make perfect vent holes. It’s a brilliant solution!

STEP-BY-STEP: HOW TO MAKE A LATTICE PIE CRUST

If you want to make a lattice pie, you first need to start with the crust. I have 2 pie crust recipes I think you’ll love: Simply Perfect Homemade Pie Crust, and Chocolate Pie Crust. Either one of these would work beautifully for a lattice pie.

The most important thing when working with pie pastry is to keep it cold. So work fast, and if you notice things getting soft, stop what you’re doing and slide everything into the fridge or freezer to chill and firm back up. This will guarantee your pie crust will bake up flaky and tender.

Step one is to roll out your bottom crust. Use half the dough to roll out a circle that’s about 3 inches bigger than your pie dish. Place it in, and lightly press it into place, allowing the excess to drape over the sides of the pan.

Then, add your filling.

Next, roll out the other half of the dough. It should also be about 3 inches wider than your pie plate.

Now you can cut it into strips. It’s totally up to you how thin or thick you like your strips to be. You can even vary the width for a really cool look. For the pictures you see here, I chose to go with a medium width of about 1 inch.

Arrange half the strips over the filled pie, in parallel lines. Again, it’s up to you how you want to space them. They can be close together, far apart, or anywhere in between.

Now fold up every other strip to about the mid-line of the pie.

Lay a strip of pie dough, perpendicular to the others, at about the center line of the pie.

Fold the strips back down…

…and then all the other ones up, to where the perpendicular strip was laid.

Lay another perpendicular strip.

Repeat this process until all the strips have been used and the top of the pie is covered with the lattice crust.

To seal the edge, first trim away any long pieces that may be hanging over the edge of the pie. You only want about 2 inches of excess. Then, fold/roll the excess dough up and over the edge of the pie. Give it a little press so it sticks together.

There are lots of ways to crimp the edge of the pie crust. You can use a fork or spoon to seal it in a decorative way, or you can pinch it with your fingertips. But my favorite way is to push it into a fluted edge using my knuckles. It makes a pretty zig-zag shape. Watch the video below to see exactly what I mean!

To give your lattice pie crust a gorgeous, golden-brown, glossy finish, brush it with a little egg wash. Egg wash is just an egg beaten with a tablespoon or so of water, milk, or cream to thin it out.

And for a little added texture and sparkle, you can sprinkle on a pinch of clear sanding sugar. Totally optional but it really adds a lot of pizazz!

If you notice any part of your pie getting too brown as it bakes (this often happens around the edges) just cover it with a little foil. This way your lattice pie crust will bake up perfectly even and golden.

Hopefully now you feel confident, and ready to make a lattice top pie! If not, and you still have questions, don’t hesitate to ask in a comment below. Or, if you’re already a lattice pie crust pro, and you have some helpful tips, we’d love to hear about them!

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