The road to pie perfection is paved in pitfalls, and I’ve fallen in a lot of them throughout my baking career. When it comes to a single-crust pie, it's important to first weight the naked crust with pie weights, rice, or dried beans and baking it (called "blind-baking"). Then, uncover and bake it some more—that ensures nary a soggy bottom. But getting the crust to just the right color depends on the type of filling you’re adding. Use our pie crust spectrum to determine how far to take it, and when enough color is enough.
Fruit pies need a pale base because they bake a looong time. If you’re making a single-crust variety topped with a crumble, it’s best to start with an anemic crust. It’ll be deep golden by the time the juices have thickened. After removing the pie weights, bake another 5-10 minutes until just golden around the edges.
Use in: Strawberry-Pistachio Crumble Pie
Custard pies, such as chess or key lime, have a shorter bake time than fruit pies, so the crust requires a solid golden base layer in order to develop enough color by the time the filling sets. After removing the pie weights, bake another 10-15 minutes until golden across the bottom.
Bake the crust dark if you’re adding a no-bake filling, like a pudding or curd. You’re going for a toasty, burnished color, so don’t be gunshy. After removing the pie weights, bake a good 15-20 minutes until golden brown all over and browned around the edges. This will also help it from sogging out.
Use with: The silkiest, smoothest lemon curd