The Unexpected Tool Perfect For Preventing Soggy Pie Bottoms

Pies are a perennial kind of dish. Whether it's the heart of summer or frosty fall, pies are welcome for any reason in any season. Besides not containing enough filling, a pie's biggest downfall can be a soggy bottom. This is most often a problem in fruit pies or pies with custard fillings — anything that has a moist interior runs the risk of ruining the crust. To prevent your pies from getting a soggy bottom, use a pizza stone on the oven rack to achieve a firm, golden base.

Pies that come out of the oven with soggy bottoms are often the result of baking mistakes, whether that's allowing wet fillings to soak into the dough before it's had a chance to harden, thawing frozen pie crust in the microwave, or not knowing whether to par-bake or blind bake your pie crust ahead of time. One way to address the problem is to look at how heat is applied during the baking process. This is where a pizza stone comes into play. By ensuring that the oven's heat evenly reaches the bottom of the pie, you're more likely to get a perfectly crumbly crust every time.

Pizza stones come in all shapes and sizes, but they don't only have to be used for making pizza. The stones are a handy tool for getting an even finish on your pie crust because they deliver concentrated heat to the bottom of the pan. This allows the crust to firm up before any of the liquid content has a chance to seep into the dough. It's important to make your pie in a metal pan even when using a pizza stone, because glass and ceramic dishes don't conduct heat as well as metal. Cheeky tip — if you're feeling lazy, you can make galette instead of pie, with no pan required. You can also bake this rustic, pie-style dish on a pizza stone. 

To use a pizza stone when baking your next pie, set the slate on an oven rack and allow it to preheat for about 30 minutes. Once the pizza stone is warm, place your dish directly onto it and cook for the recommended amount of time. It's that easy. The hot stone will do all the work, ensuring that your pie crust comes out crisp and crackable. Just one extra step and you're on your way to saying goodbye to soggy pie bottoms forever.