What Is The Point Of An Egg Wash When Baking Pies?

If you've ever seen a perfect flaky, buttery pie crust with a shiny, burnished hue to it, and you're wondering why yours don't turn out that way, it's probably because you're missing one crucial step: an egg wash. An egg wash simply means that you've brushed your pie with a thin coating of beaten egg (that's usually been slightly watered down with water, milk, or cream) before baking it. As well as adding a shiny finish, it can be used to seal dough or help other ingredients like sugar to stick to it, and it also offers a layer of protection during baking.

To get the best results when using an egg wash, one important step is to make sure your eggs have been blended completely before brushing them onto your baked goods. In order to achieve this, you can crack your eggs into a tightly sealable screw-top jar and shake them up until the color is homogenous (I'll even usually use this trick for making the fluffiest scrambled eggs). Alternatively, use an immersion blender to break them up in a tall measuring cup until they're nice and even. The brushing part might take a little effort, as any uneven coating may result in darker spots when your bake is completed, but that's nothing a few rounds of practice can't fix. Just try to avoid any noticeable pooling of liquid egg anywhere.

A recipe I default to when it comes to an egg wash is one whole egg beaten with one tablespoon of water. The added water gives the liquid egg an easier brushable consistency, and therefore a much more even sheen when your pastries are removed from the oven. You can also use a tablespoon of milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream too, if you have that on hand. 

Using a plain egg without any added liquid works as well, or if you're looking for the most intense golden hue, you can also just use one egg yolk to two teaspoons of water. This works on all pastry crusts, not just when you want to bake great pies, by the way. You can use an egg wash on hand pies, when making your own rough puff pastry (or even using the store bought stuff!), and whatever flaky goodness you have in mind, so don't forget to keep at least one egg stocked in your fridge when you're making pie.