I'm making my own for my lunchbar and when they come out of the oven they are perfect.The bottoms are solid and cooked well, but once they go into the pie warmer over time they become soft and oily.I've tried just sitting them on racks, used grease proof paper and sat them on metal trays, but the results are always the same.Would someone know how to stop this from happening!TIA
kassie48,
May 10, 6:09am
What ingredients are in the base!
missunderstood,
May 10, 6:11am
I'm using flaky pastry.
retired,
May 10, 6:27am
Better to use short crust for a pie base and I always sprinkle the bottom with ground rice or semolina which helps to stop the bottom going soggy.Some people bush with egg white.Hope this helps.
missunderstood,
May 10, 6:41am
I'll definitely try that.thanks.I'm new to this pie making lark and they must taste good because I've sold 40 in two days, but if I use shortcrust, what should I use for the sides and top.I don't think I can use the rice idea because I fill the pie before I bake it.
roundtop,
May 10, 6:53am
Make your own pastry and that wont happen
missunderstood,
May 10, 7:09am
Make my own!LOL.if only I had the time and the inclination, but I've neither.
bill241,
May 10, 7:20am
Someone told me that putting grated cheese under the pastry stops them from going soggy, if that is suitable for the taste of your pie. I have not tried this myself though.
ace441,
May 10, 8:26am
Slightly beaten egg white can be brushed on the surface of the pastry to act as a "sealant". Prick the base of the pie/pastry/quiche base and brush the egg white over it. Allow it to harden prior to adding the filling also make sure your filling is cold before putting into the pastry base.
wayne472,
May 10, 9:16am
Put the cheese (grated) on the bottom of the pie then put the filling on top,yes it works and it also enhances the flavour of the pie,dont tell any one you have done this and you will be amased at the comments!
Bon appetite!
fifie,
May 10, 9:39am
A tip from Annabel langbein and it works, is always cook your pie in metal tin, not glass or ceramic dish,put a oven tray in when you heat oven up sit the tin with pie in it on this to cook and thebottom stays nice and crispy because of the metal.
kuaka,
May 10, 10:33am
I think the problem that "missunderstood" has, is not so much in the baking, but in keeping the pies in the pie warmer the bottoms go soggy.
Make sure the pie warmer is right up to temperature before you put the pies in.I think you will just have to experiment with the suggestions above and see what helps and what doesn't.Good luck.
winnie231,
May 10, 8:33pm
What brand of pastry are you using! It could be this & no fault in what you're doing. Some are very oily! Try another brand.
lilyfield,
May 10, 8:44pm
pie crust pastry in the bottom, flaky on top,hat is what most professionals do
missunderstood,
May 11, 4:51am
Thanks for all the info.I've tried the cheese on the bottom first, and I use metal pie tins, the kind that click apart with a metal base.They're fine when they come out of the oven, perfect in fact, but it's when they go into the pie warmer that they go soft.It seems oily, no matterhow I treat them.I'll try the egg idea and see if that helps.I use Edmonds, is there a better one to use!
missunderstood,
May 11, 4:52am
Pie cut pastry.ok, will also give thata go.You're such nice people trying to help me.thanks!
jaybee2003,
May 11, 5:15am
It sounds to me as if it could be steam from the pie warmer or other foods in the pie warmer is making it go soggy, especially if it is perfect on going in there.
I don't know much about using pie warmers - is there a minimum or recommended setting it can be used at safely!I assume a too high setting could create unnecessary steam from a filling. And is it only pies in the warmer!
I am thinking of the pies at of one our local bakeries which are always yummy with crisp bottoms - they are in a warmer all on their own, sitting on open racks so the air can circulate and the warmer doesn't seem that "hot" when you are close to it. A second bakery that has soggy bottomed pies also displays hot chips, battered fish, sausages, toasties etc all together in the same warmer, and I can feel the heat from my side of the counter. I'm no expert but - just a thought!.
missunderstood,
May 11, 5:32am
The pies are by themselves, but maybe I do have it too hot!I've sat them on the racks and on trays, but it makes no difference.I'm planning on making alot this weekend, but I very much want to solve the soggy bottoms.Soggy bottoms, something for us all to look forward to eventually.just a change of subject.as you were.
winnie231,
May 11, 6:32am
When I was in the industry I used Bidvest flaky pastry for my pies . I won the regional cafe of the year award based on those pies so they were pretty good in someone's books! I didn't have a pie warmer though & heated them on order so I don't know how it (the pastry) performs in your circumstances. It's worth trying though as buying commercial amounts would be far more economical for you than the supermarket brands.
rogergayle,
May 11, 10:46am
Yes I second Bidvest flaky pastry too and QFS flaky pastry is great too. I make bacon and egg pies to sell and use cheese on the bottom which works for me and I just sit my pies on tin foil in the pie warmer and they stay good like this.
kuaka,
May 11, 10:52am
Someone will no doubt be able to confirm/correct me, but the temperature of the pie warmer should be hot enough to keep the food above the "danger zone" which is between 5 and 57 deg C.(Had to google that as my memory isn't what it used to be), so the pie warmer should be at least 57 deg C otherwise you risk your food deteriorating, especially important with moist protein fillings.
asue,
May 11, 10:53am
Are the pies in the warmer on a wire rack or an oven tray! Oven tray would make them soggy - wire rack would circulate the heat in the warmer better.Maybe contact the service provider for the pie warmer and ask them about this issue.
missunderstood,
May 14, 7:42am
Update:I put the cheese in the bottom of the tray (a couple stuck, but the rest were good), I used egg white on the bottom of the pastry, I put foil on the pie racks in the warmer and NO SOGGY BOTTOMS!Yayyyy.but now I've found that pie making is just too time consuming.I'm thinking of buying a pie maker, breville or something similar.Anyone used these!Do they make good pies!
pheebs1,
May 14, 10:36am
no they dont i have had one and tops come away from bottoms and they only make a few at a time the way you have been doing it is best youll just have to sell heaps and get some extra help all the best!
purplegoanna,
May 14, 9:54pm
yes they make good pies for the home not for sale to the public.keep up with the 'hard work' to get the sales.
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